


Wildlings

by NimDamy16



Series: Wildlings [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blackwatch!Hanzo, Brainwashed!Genji, F/F, F/M, Fem!Hanzo, M/M, McHanzo - Freeform, Noodle Dragons, Reaper76 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-01-05 20:17:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 35,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12196662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NimDamy16/pseuds/NimDamy16
Summary: After her father's untimely death, Hanae Shimada is forced to leave her whole life behind and run for her life. Hunted by assassins and bounty hunters, she makes her way halfway across the world.Then, she meets a man with a cowboy hat, who makes her an offer she just can't refuse. Not if she wants to stay alive.But she will discover that the man and her have more in common than she believed at first.After all, wildlings have to stick together...





	1. Of Missions Gone Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> So, the idea for this fic is a dream I had. Honestly, I dreamed about Hanzo as a girl and Genji brainwashed by a dragon spirit and this is the result my brain came up with.  
> Anyway, this is my first Overwatch fic, please be kind. Also, English is not my first language and the fic is not beta-ed, so please forgive any grammar/spelling mistakes!

There was no worse moment to be left behind by your team mates, only to realize that your comm wasn't working and you were stranded in a blind spot of a turret, than in the middle of a Blackwatch mission. At least not for Jesse McCree there wasn't.

"Damn, I mus' talk to Reyes about these comms, it's the third time in a row I got a faulty one!" Jesse muttered to himself.

On the bright side: he was in a blind spot. At least he didn't have to worry about the turret at the moment. On the not-so-bright side: he had been separated from everyone and had no way to reach them without moving and entering the weapon's range. Hopefully, one of the others would figure out soon enough that he was missing and would come look for him. Hopefully.  

That was when the omnics appeared. Two dozens or so, armed to the teeth, having one target: the cowboy. He pulled out Peacekeeper. Breathe in. Focus on target. Breathe out. Shoot. It took the first omnic two seconds to fall. Two seconds in which the gunslinger had time to reload. Then he did it again. And again. And again. Six bullets hit home. By the time the last shot rang out, the other omnics had figured out that the human was not defenceless, nor was he unskilled. But they still outnumbered him. Attacking was the only outcome. So they attacked, all at once, using the small window when he had to change his weapon.

McCree was positive that this would be the end of his life. His only regret was not checking in with his ma sooner. He hoped Reyes would do him one last favour and get in touch with her, tell her that her boy had left that blasted gang and had been trying to do some good to the world.

He was startled from his brief daydream by a voice yelling "Get down!" and the wheezing of a projectile. At first, he thought it was a sniper bullet, but the metal shaft decorated with bright blue feathers proved him wrong. "Arrows? Who in their right mind..." His thinking process was once again interrupted, this time by a shout in a different language. Something Asian, Chinese? Japanese, maybe?

The next thing Jesse McCree was aware of was an ethereal blue light and two undulating shapes heading right towards him. His last image before he hit the ground was two serpentine creatures and a girl, bow and arrow in hand, who appeared to control them.

* * *

 

Shimada Hanae had already had more than enough of the omnics that seemed to be covering every street of London. Not that she had had that big of a passion for the foggy city before, but still... those blasted creatures should learn to protect architecture and such.

The gunshots were nothing new, not for somebody who grew up in the Shimada Castle. After all, the family business dealt with weapons more often than not. What was new was the chilling calm that settled over the entire block.

 _'I need a higher vantage point,'_ she thought to herself. So she went for a higher point, using emergency access routes when available and window sills when not. The roof was a good spot, and Hanae could see the brawl in the street below. Someone in a cowboy hat was shooting omnics with deadeye precision.

But his gun ran out of bullets. Fast. And, before he could reload the gun, the omnics were upon him. She would have left him there, not caring whether he lived or died, if it hadn't been for the fleeting glance he sent her way. She knew he was too far to see her clearly, but, for one second, his eyes sparkled and his lips moved in a silent prayer.

Before she could get a hold of herself, the first arrow had already reached its mark and the second was nocked in the Stormbow. Hanae felt the twin spirits grow restless beneath her skin. She fired two more arrows in rapid succession.

„Get down!" she shouted at the man, hoping that he would heed her command. „Ryuu ga waka teki wo kurao!"

Normally, Hanae had complete control over the two dragon spirits residing within her soul. But the exhaustion of the last few months was caching up to her, so she simply let the spirits roam free, with the command of _'not the man'_ being more of a suggestion.

Still, it appeared as though the man did hear her and decided obey her command. Risky thing, especially since he didn't know if he could trust her but, in the middle of an omnic attack, Hanae supposed that simply being human gave you a good dose of trust from all other humans.

Shivering slightly, more from her tiredness than from the cold, the woman recalled the spirits.

 _'Status on the omnics?'_ she inquired the two through the mental connection they had shared for years.

 _'All gone,'_ Sora, the female spirit, answered.

 _'And, before you ask again, the man is alive. He collapsed, fear and exhaustion, most likely,'_ Umi, Sora's male counterpart added.

Hanae sighed in relief. If the man was alive, she simply had to drag him somewhere safe for a few hours, until he came back to his senses and she could leave the damned city for good. Another well placed arrow disabled the turret closest to the collapsed man. Then, Hanae made her way back to the street, a lot slower than she would have liked to, feet slightly shaking.

Her first action was to check the man's vitals. When she was convinced that he was still alive she summoned all the strength she had left and dragged him to a slightly more hidden alley.

Ripping open a nanite pack with shaking hands, Hanae did her best to tend to his wounds. They were mostly superficial, but a cut on the back of his head was bleeding and he had several deeper cuts on the side of his face and neck, probably from the drop and shrapnel from the destroyed omnics. The edges of her vision were turning dark, a usual side effect from when she unleashed the dragons. Combined with the restless weeks she'd had, though, it was worse than usual.

Trying to stand up, Hanae felt dizzy and light-headed. With great effort, she summoned the dragons, in their smaller and kinder form. Then, she slumped against a wall, eyes closed, with a last command for the dragons to keep watch.


	2. Of Risks and Offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umi = sea  
> Sora = sky  
> These are the names I chose for Hanae's dragons, but they are not official. Both come from Japanese. Umi is the male dragon and Sora is the female dragon.  
> Enjoy!

Jesse McCree woke up to a pounding headache and a feminine voice speaking quietly in a language he didn't recognise. Her words were fast and her tone was almost angry, and McCree was happy that he wasn't on the receiving end of her reprimand, although he was positive he wouldn't have understood a word of what she said. It sounded like Japanese from what he could gather. If it wasn't for the hard concrete under his palms, the smell of blood all around and the telltale burn that accompanied the use of Deadeye, he would have wondered just how much he'd had ad to drink before he blacked out.

He tried to move and groaned when a wave of nausea hit him. Damn him, damn Reyes, damn Winston and those faulty comms, damn them all, he was taking those days off he had saved in the last years and going somewhere warm and relaxing as soon as he was back at base.

The sound of feet stepping closer to him woke him from his daydream of warm and sunny beaches. He must have groaned louder than he intended to. He looked up, only to see a girl crouched next to him, watching him intently. And a very pretty girl at that. Long, dark hair framed an oval face, with dark brown eyes and full lips.

"Morning!" he greeted, lamely, when he realised that he had been staring. But it was her eyes that caught his attention. His ma always said that it was the eyes that told one most about a human. And the girl's eyes were ancient, buzzing with power.

"It is three in the afternoon," her reply was curt, but not hostile. "Stay still, the wounds are almost completely healed by now, and I don't have another nanite pack on hand if you rip them open again."

"Alright, miss. Name's McCree, by the way. Jesse McCree. And I owe my life to...?"

"Shi... Shimi Hanae. And you don't owe me anything, those omnics had it coming." She fumbled with her left sleeve and Jesse saw the hint of a tattoo snaking around her wrist.

"Still, thank ya' kindly for saving my sorry ass out there! You are rather skilled with the bow..." 'for your age' he wanted to continue, but then he remembered that he had been a natural with a gun and able to hit the bull's eye before he was able to speak properly.

The girl leaned in and checked the back of his neck, where, now that he thought about it, he remembered getting hit by something heavy. Some of the tension seemed to leave her pose.

"Alright, you can try to raise up now. It appears as though the wound has closed completely," Hanae told him, holding out a hand to help him up.

McCree almost rejected her offer, on account that he was probably twice her weight, and there was no way she could lift him. Then, he remembered that he had fallen in the middle of a street, and now he was in a hidden alley, a good ten meters from his previous spot. The girl must have moved him, as he doubted the omnics had been so kind.

So he took her hand and rose to a sitting position, back against a wall. And if he held on her hand just a little bit longer than necessary, he could always blame the nausea.

* * *

Hanae watched him with a raised eyebrow. The man, Jesse McCree, was... interesting, to say the least. He had military training, that was for sure, but was able to assess his need for help and accept hers, without hesitation at the fact that she was a woman. That was refreshing, after the last years of prejudice due to her gender back home.

He was holding the hat in his hands, fidgeting with the brim. From up close he was younger than she expected, probably not much older than herself. Then again, with the rhythm in which the technology advanced those days, he could just as well be twice her age and wealthy enough to afford the nanite treatments that kept people young far longer than expected.

Still, his eyes were young, his spirit still growing. The dragons hummed in agreement and she watched the man jump slightly as if he had heard them too.

"Did you hear that?" he asked her, confirming her suspicion.

"Hear what?" she replied, feigning ignorance.

"Nah, it must've been only my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard someone hum. Probably hit my head harder than I realised, though, if you didn't hear it..." he rambled, not quite meeting her eyes.

He was used to relying on his senses in an unknown situation, then. She could relate to that, especially since it had been only her senses, slightly enhanced by the dragons, that had kept her alive lately. So, she slowly coaxed Sora and Umi out, in what she and her brother used to call 'the noodle form'. The two bright blue, serpentine creatures came to life and slithered out from her sleeve.

"I have heard that hum too. You are not going crazy, I simply didn't expect you to hear it too," she said, the honesty in her tone making him lift his eyes.

"What do you..." he started asking before he saw the two dragons, one perched on each shoulder, watching him intently. His pupils dilated slightly as he took in the two spirits. "Oh. That's what you mean."

"Yes. These are Sora and Umi, my, uh, guardians and allies. They are the ones who destroyed the omnics."

"Thank ya kindly," he said, nodding in the direction of the dragons. "You saved my life."

Sora preened at the recognition, whispering something along the lines of _'at last, a human who recognises our merit!'_ Umi was the more curious one. He slithered down Hanae's left arm and inched towards the strange man, sniffing, trying to detect any trace of a danger. The man, Jesse, flinched slightly, but didn't pull away from the small dragon when his snout touched the tips of his fingers. After a few seconds, he started petting the dragon, the spirit literally purring under his ministrations.

 _"Hanae, can we keep him?"_ Umi asked, as the man started scratching the dragon's head. _"Please?"_

The man chuckled at the dragon, as he pushed his head into his hand. Sora, while hesitant in the beginning, now slithered down Hanae's right arm and joined her brother. Hanae smiled at the twin spirits before looking the man in the eyes again.

"The one on your right is Umi and the other one is Sora. If they bother you, I can call them back." She watched his face intently, looking for any signs of dishonesty or discomfort.

But the man only flashed her a grin and a wink. "Nah, they're no problem."

An awkward silence set over the two, as they watched the dragons.

Hanae was the first to break it. "What does that mean?" she asked, pointing to the symbol etched on his sleeve.

"What?" he asked, looking up from the dragons. "Oh, that! Nothing, I got the jacket like this."

He was honest. Up to a point. But he was also studying her now, as if assessing the risk she posed.

"Listen, can I ask you something?" he inquired, looking her in the eye.

"You just did so. But ask away." Hanae would be lying if she would say that she wasn't curious of what the man wanted to ask her.

"Okay, uh, see, I work in this team of special operations, with agents from all over the world. We're short a sniper and we could use somebody with your skill. Would you be interested?"

Hanae blinked once. Twice. Of all things possible, she hadn't expected this question. On the other hand, a spec ops team could offer her the protection she needed from the Shimada-Gumi. For a while, at least. She was so tired of just running away. And the dragons trusted him. He didn't appear to know what he was. Not yet, at least. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take his offer.

* * *

 

Jesse felt like kicking himself. He just blurted out the question, his mouth going faster than his brain. Again. He could see her looking at him, startled by his question. But Reyes had been arguing with Morrison about appointing a sniper to Blackwatch, especially since Reyes claimed that they needed extra cover during missions in order to try and prevent any loss of life in their ranks. 

"Listen, sorry, my mouth is just running faster than my brain, just ignore that..." he started an apology, but she lifted a finger to his lips, effectively shutting him up.

"Jesse McCree, I think I will take your offer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything that the dragons say is supposed to be in Japanese. As I don't know the language, I will use English and italics.  
> Also, I will try to update every week. But I make no promises :)  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


	3. Of Mistakes and Misunderstandings

"You what?" Jesse was shell-shocked at her words.

"I will take your offer. Sora and Umi trust you. So I will do too," she said, looking him straight in the eyes.

Jesse couldn’t shake the feeling that the girl had other reasons for accepting his proposition. But her eyes were bright, alight with something akin to happiness and the beginning of a smile was gracing her lips and Jesse realised that he, in fact, trusted the girl with the dragons too. Maybe it was because she had saved his life, maybe because he understood that the world would become a bigger place for him now that he had met her, maybe because she was the first human he saw that simply didn’t expect anything from him, but he trusted her.

"I think I trust you too, darlin'," he said, watching for her reaction. She smiled at him, fully this time, and he couldn't help but smile back at her.

Hanae was expecting him to smile. She wasn't ready for him to spring forward and hug her. So she did what she always did in an unexpected situation. She let muscle memory take over.

Looking back, she had to admit it was an unwise decision. But it had saved her life more than once before, especially since the Shimada elders were set on getting her back to Hanamura. Or her head and heart in a pretty box.

The next few moments were a blur, Hanae finding herself straddling Jesse, her right hand holding both of his pinned above his head and her left forearm pressing against his throat. Half a second later, she felt the nuzzle of the shotgun pressed against her back. Jesse's eyes went wide in recognition.

"Release him," a rough voice spoke directly in her ear. "Now."

Slowly, Hanae lifted her arms. The moment she had attacked the cowboy, Umi and Sora had slithered back on her arm and within her tattoo. Her Stormbow and quiver were too far, next to the rest of her supplies.

When her hands were no longer restricting Jesse, the man who had spoken to her grasped her wrists and forced both her hands behind her back. He motioned for her to get up. Pushed her arms, to be exact. Hard enough that Hanae had to get to her feet to avoid her shoulders being dislocated. Two quick hits on the inside of her knees made her feet numb and forced her to kneel on the ground, next to where Jesse was slowly sitting up.

"Estás bien, hijo?" the man holding Hanae asked the cowboy.

"Sí, jefe," he wheezed.

Hanae winced when the brutal movement of her arms made a stitched wound on her upper back rip open. The man restraining her tied her hands together then turned her around. The woman held her head high, facing the man with a courage she didn't really feel.

For a few seconds, they both studied each other. He was... large. Dark tan, broad shoulders, scarred face and enough muscles to put any athlete to shame. Narrowed eyes and tightened lips, assessing the threat she possessed. A commander, through and through.

"And you are?" he asked, as soon as it became clear that she would not break the silence. Hanae had to bite her tongue not to snap at the man and demand retribution for his actions. _'You are no longer the heir of an empire. You are just an assassin, and he believes you were about to kill one of his men. Behave yourself,'_ she said to herself.

"Shimi Hanae." He had asked for her name, so that was all she gave him. Years of training had drilled into her to never give more information than necessary. The man kept studying her, as if he wanted to read her mind and soul.

"Jefe, it's alright," the cowboy intervened, making the man's eyes snap towards him.

"She had you pinned to the ground and wad ready to end you, Jesse." An assessment, not a question. But also a demand.

 _'Hanae, you have to explain yourself to him!'_ Umi complained inside her head.

 _'Yes, or we will not get to play with him again. And he is such a young and wild spirit!'_ Sora joined in, almost whining.

"Yeah, see, about that..." the cowboy began, fiddling with his hat again.

"It was my mistake," Hanae interrupted him. "I have been on the run for several months now, and I am not used to casual touches. It was a reflex that saved my life at least a few times." She looked Jesse in the eyes again as she spoke. "I apologise for my rash decision and for any further injury you may have received because of it."

"It's nothing, don't worry, darlin'," he said, a smile already blooming on his face again. "Actually," he began, turning towards the dark-skinned man, "I think I have a solution for our issue, jefe."

* * *

By the time Jesse, Hanae and the man, who introduced himself as commander Gabriel Reyes, arrived at the transport shuttle that would get them to headquarters, the woman had been briefed about what joining their team meant. In a manner of speech.

At least two thirds of the time had been spent by Jesse and Reyes arguing in Spanish. A few minutes into the argument, Umi had reappeared, only to give both men a little scare, followed by the dragon settling comfortably on Jesse's hat. Sora, on the other hand, had settled on Hanae's shoulder, keeping the woman company while the two men talked.

When the two reached some sort of agreement, Reyes had started questioning her. Basic questions, at first, her full name, her age, where was she from. Why was she on the run. Where had she learned to shoot a bow like that. What about the dragons, where did they come from.

Her story was close enough to the truth to keep her from getting tangled in lies. She was 19, born and raised in Japan, on the Sado island (in fact, her family had a holiday home on Sado). Her father owned a new and blooming business, and she was supposed to take over from him one day, but then he died and his partners didn't agree with a female leader, so they tried to take her out of the picture. She had been training with the bow for years. The dragons were ancient spirits who protected her family. Each member had his or her dragon. As the heir, she had the honour of being guarded by the twins.

By the time her story was over, they were airborne. On the ride to headquarters, Reyes finally told her the truth about his team. Their name was Blackwatch. She made the connection to Overwatch even before he started explaining. Blackwatch was the covert ops division of Overwatch. Maximum secrecy. But almost unlimited power and resources. 'Excepting the crappy comms!' McCree had added, making all agents smile.

When they reached the Swiss Headquarters, Hanae was already an official agent of Blackwatch. There was one thing left to do, though. Reyes claimed that he had to introduce her to Strike Commander Morrison and his Second in command, Commander Amari. The names should have rung warning bells in Hanae's mind, but she may or may not have been distracted by some story Jesse was telling. The young man had a knack for storytelling, Hanae had to give him that.

But all thoughts of stories fled her mind when she found herself at gunpoint, again, staring straight into a very familiar and rather disliked face.

"You," Hanae snarled, not really caring she had an audience, the dragons back in spirit form and rumbling under her skin.

"What in the world are you doing here, Shimada?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aloha, everyone!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Any guesses on who knew Hanae was a Shimada? 
> 
> So, translations:  
> Estás bien, hijo? - Are you alright, son?  
> Sí, jefe. - Yes, boss.
> 
> Anyway, I know many people have this headcanon that the Dragons are called Soba and Udon and, funny thing, I found out yesterday that both names are, ib fact, types of Japanese noodles :)  
> Just thought I'd share with you all.  
> Anyway, remember to react if you liked the chapter, be it kudos or comments or anything else. It makes my day, really :)  
> And I apologise again for any mistakes, in grammar/spelling, point them out and I'll do my best to correct them!  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


	4. Of Hope and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory! Yay!  
> Also, a tad bit of reaper76, mostly implied, but still...  
> Okay, enjoy!

Hanae took in the woman standing in front of her, who had sneaked up and now held her at gunpoint.

"I didn't know that you knew how to use a gun, Zhou," Hanae said casually, freeing one of her hidden blades from her sleeve with a flick of her wrist. "Had the elders known where exactly you'd run to with your tail between your legs, you would have never left Hanamura alive."

"Agent Zhou, what is the meaning of this?" Commander Reyes tried to intervene and break apart a banter that could turn deadly in a matter of seconds.

"You have some nerve, bitch, to come strutting in like you own the place!" the woman almost screamed at Hanae.

"Says the one who tried to kill me in my sleep because I was better than her in the training arena. Then again, you wouldn't be the first to let jealousy take your mind away."

Hanae had spent years honing her words to be as sharp a weapon as her arrows and she let them fly, laughing in the face of death. But she had underestimated just how desperate Mei-Ling Zhou was for revenge.

"Tell me, Shimada, where is precious little brother now? Last I heard, he ordered you to be brought back to Hanamura, preferably alive but without any real complaints on your state..."

Hanae cut her off with a well placed hit that made Mei drop her weapon and the knife angled on her neck, pressing down hard enough that any movement would make the woman slice open her own throat.

"That is enough!" Reyes shouted at the women. "Agent Zhou, report to Agent Lindholm immediately, you are on recruit duty for the next three weeks. No comments from either of you and no more sparring outside the practice range! Have I made myself clear!"

Hanae stepped back, blade still threatening but far enough that the other woman could step away without injuring herself. Oh, they would meet in practice, though. And set things straight again.

"Yes, sir!" Mei-Ling Zhou saluted and walked briskly down the hall.

"Agent Shimada, follow me." With that, Reyes turned his back to the woman and started walking in the opposite direction than Zhou.

Hanae followed him and didn't even realize that she was gripping the knife with white knuckles. That was the moment it hit her. Commander Reyes had called her Shimada. She couldn't even think anything else over the silently screaming mantra in her head.

**_'Shit. Shit. Shit.'_ **

* * *

 

Hanae walked into Commander Reyes' office with her head held high and her back straight. Outside, she was borderline confidence incarnate, but inside she was just... numb. How had Zhou found out about the latest changes of dynamic in the Shimada-Gumi, she didn't know, but the blow had been low and it had struck true.

Commander Reyes was watching her with tired eyes. She would face whatever consequences he deemed appropriate and then she would take her leave.

"Sit down," Reyes pointed at a chair across the desk from him.

She did, keeping her head high and her back straight.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"I apologise for losing my temper with agent Zhou. She and I have a long and complicated history with each other. Anyway, I will not apologise for having a fake identity. I did what I had to in order to assure my survival. As you have probably gathered by now, my real name is Shimada Hanae, former heir of the Shimada-Gumi. Due to several events and the fact that I had been born a female, I was deemed unfit to take over the clan. Realising that I will possess a threat as long as I am alive, the elders tried to take me out and force me to go on the run. And now I am wanted, dead or alive. If this is all, I will get going. Unless Zhou talks, you have no need to worry about Overwatch getting in a conflict with the Shimada-Gumi." Hanae stood up and turned towards the door, ready to leave.

"Agent Shimada, I told you to sit down." Reyes' voice stopped her and made her turn back around, resuming her place in front of his desk.

That was it. She would be shipped straight back to Hanamura and handed over to the elders. Her hands started shaking, so she tightened them into fists. Even the dragons were getting reckless. She would not allow it. Anything but having to see him again.

Commander Reyes cleared his throat, catching her attention. He was drumming his fingers on his desk, watching her intently. Here it came. His verdict. How she would get sent back, to that horror waiting for her in Hanamura. The one wearing her brother's face.

"I understand," he began, " the reasons why you have lied to us. I do not hold it against you, what you had to do to survive. On the other hand, you and I have an agreement. You have signed the papers and are an official Blackwatch agent. As such, your protection and immunity are granted by us. That is, unless you want to rescind your contract. Which you can do at any point, assuming you respect the confidentiality clause. In other words, you are welcome to stay as part of my team."

Hanae gaped at the man in front of her. She had been told by her mother that there were people who were willing to help others even if it cost them greatly. But she hadn't believed it before.

"Why?" she asked, when she found her voice again. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because you saved one of my men. Because you have great potential. And because you are a good kid who had lots of bad things thrown her way. And everyone deserves a second chance."

Hanae could see it in his eyes that there also was another reason, but the dragons didn't feel threatened and it had been years since she had learned to trust their judgement.

"Thank you," was all she could say.

"Before you go, there are two conditions to your staying here. One: no more fighting with Zhou. She will leave Headquarters soon, joining a team of scientists at Ecopoint Antarctica, but until then, whatever you two need to settle you do so in the practice range. And two: you go and explain everything to Jesse. He is in the infirmary for now, and he was the one to bring you in, so he will hear the whole story from you. Clear?"

"Yes, Commander." Hanae watched the man crack a smile at the formal title.

"Then, Agent Shimada, welcome to Blackwatch." He stood up and held out his hand, which she promptly shook. "You are dismissed."

Hanae saluted and exited the office, finally starting to feel like she could breathe properly again. She was in. She could do this. She was safe.

The young woman started walking down the hallway, making it a total of ten steps before realising she had no idea where the infirmary was. So she turned back again, to ask Commander Reyes. Her hand was raised to knock on the door when she heard the man talking loudly from inside the room and the dragons in her mind, prompting her to listen closely.

* * *

 

Gabriel Reyes had recognised the girl from the moment she had looked him straight in the eyes. Shimada Hanae.

* * *

_It had been years since that one mission in Hanamura. The omnium had taken hostage several civilians in a effort to gain control of the city. Among the hostages was Hamasaki Takara, the wife of Shimada Sojiro, current head of the Shimada-Gumi._

_Of course, Reyes hadn't known that particular piece of information the moment he and Morrison had staged a rescue mission. It was the first mission after they had finished the SEP, and a small test for the programme's first graduates. The two men had made short work of the few omnics guarding the hostages. Morrison had started escorting the people out of the small, temple-like building where they had been held._

_The soldier, a child in his arms, was way out into the street when Gabe heard it. The telltale beeping of a bomb detonator. He swore under his breath and shouted at Jack to hurry up._

_And then ran back inside to the woman who was still there, her foot chained to one of the metal poles holding the building up. He couldn't get her out. So he did the only thing he could think about. He shielded her with his own body, hoping against hope that his highly enhanced being will hold up enough of a shield to save her life until Morrison returned to check._

_And the last thing he was aware of was the woman muttering something in Japanese and the bomb exploding with a deafening sound right behind him._

_He woke up in a typical Japanese room, well aware of the sharp pain all over his body. Within seconds, a young woman was by his bedside, gesturing at him to lay still and then she was gone._

_And he saw the girl. She couldn’t have been older than four, but her eyes... her eyes held some ancient wisdom and they looked at him as if she was weighing his very soul. It all lasted a moment, before he winked at her and she giggled, waving at him. He smiled at her and was still smiling when a couple walked in the room where he lay and the girl left._

_The man bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the ground. With a startled gasp, he recognised the woman as the one he had shielded in the explosion._

_"I am Shimada Sojiro," the man began, bowing again, not as low as the first time, "and this is Hamasaki Takara, my wife. You have saved her from certain death at the hands of the omnics. And for that, I am forever in your debt. Right now, you are inside my personal residence in Hanamura and we have our best physicians on duty to heal your wounds. Until your health is restored, you are more than welcome to stay in my home."_

_"Thank you, sir," Gabe said, at a loss for words at the moment. Then he realised that he had yet to introduce himself to the people who had helped him so much already. "I am Gabriel Reyes, US military. I am honoured to make your acquaintance." He held out his hand and Sojiro firmly shook it._

_"The honour is ours, Reyes-san."_

_That was the moment the little girl came running into the room, followed by a smaller boy chasing after her. She ran straight for the woman, Takara, and hid behind her kimono, while chattering in rapid Japanese, almost as if scolding the boy. Takara donned a stern expression as she leaned down to pick the girl in her arms._

_Now, Gabe could see the resemblance between mother and daughter, even before Sojiro chuckled and introduced the two._

_"Our eldest daughter, Hanae, and our son, Genji," he said, while picking up the boy and ruffling his hair. He giggled and tried to escape his father's hold for a few moments, before Takara chided her husband, a genuine smile on her face, and he put Genji back on the ground. His sister followed and they went to run outside of the room._

_Before she got out, though, Hanae turned back and smiled at Gabe again, waving, then took on running after her brother._

_"We have been blessed with wonderful children," Takara told him, noticing the smile still on his face._

_"Yes, you have," he agreed. "Shimada-san, could I ask something of you?" Gabe said, a slight frown replacing his smile._

_"Anything, just say it and, if it is in my power, then I will grant it!"_

_"I came to Hanamura with a fellow american, going by Jack Morrison. I do not know whether he knows I am still alive or not. Could you try to find him, and let him know that I have survived the explosion?"_

_"Of course, Reyes-san!" Sojiro told him, then called for something in fast Japanese._

_A young woman entered and bowed at the three people in the room._

_"This is Suki, she will attend to your needs while you recover. She understands English very well and should have no problem in communicating your needs to the rest of the staff. We have to leave you now, Reyes-san, but I will return soon with news of your colleague," Shimada explained. The girl bowed again as he exited then turned towards Reyes, ready to attend to him, as she would do over the following week, while he recovered._

_And that was how Jack had found him, two days later. The man had been angry and relieved in equal measures._

_"What the hell were you thinking, Gabe?" he had inquired. "I thought you were a goner!" Jack had said, tears in his eyes._

_"I'm okay now, carino," Gabe had told him then, grasping Jack's hand and holding to it like it was a lifeline._

_The following week found Gabe in a private jet, heading straight for DC, with a business card and a promise that, whenever he needed help, he could call the number and help would come._

* * *

Gabriel Reyes was startled out of his memories by the ringing of his phone. He looked at the caller ID and sighed. Pushing those precious memories to the back of his mind, he answered the call, running it on speaker.

"Yes, Morrison?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been sick last week, meaning I stayed at home for a few days, meaning a longer chapter. As you have probably realised by now, I usually update on monday. So, that's about it :)  
> Translation:  
> carino - sweetie, love, sweetheart (choose whichever, they all fit ;) )  
> As usual, I am really sorry for any mistakes, if you mention them I will do my best to fix them.  
> Almost forgot:   
> Is there anything in particular you would like to see? For example, a certain character's perspective (Morrison, Reyes, Mercy, etc). Also, would you like to see Genji? Just let me know, and I'll do my best.   
> Also, should next chapter be backstory or action? I'm still debating that one...
> 
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


	5. Of Plans and Silence

Strike Commander Jack Morrison was shocked when he heard about Blackwatch Commander Reyes' last recruit.

Truth be told, Morrison was well aware that Blackwatch needed more agents. And a damn good sniper.

That didn't stop him from considering the former heir of the most powerful branch of the Japanese Yakuza a risky choice for an agent. At least not with the story agent Zhou had told him.

_'Shimada is dangerous. Trained to be an assassin from the moment she could walk properly. And with the values and morals of the Shimada-Gumi well ingrained in her. The only reason she is not leading the clan is because she is a woman and the former Head died before he could name her his official successor. She has always been unstable. Tried to kill me just a few minutes ago. It was only Commander Reyes that had stopped her. I am truly sorry if I bothered you, sir, but I had to voice my concerns. If she loses it while on a mission, she could get many good agents killed.'_

Morrison had thanked her for her insight on the problem. After that, he kicked everybody out of his office and breathed deeply a few times, to collect himself. Then, he picked up his phone and dialled Gabriel Reyes' number.

_'Yes, Morrison?'_

"What the hell, Gabe?"

_'I get it you have heard about my new agent. How?'_

"Agent Zhou."

_'I told that woman to go straight to Torb and help him with the recruits, not run straight to the Strike Commander and complain about my decisions. Just because I am not in the public roster of Overwatch any more doesn't mean I don't outrank almost everyone, save for you, Ana and a few others. And, technically, you are the only one who outranks me, so, unless you decided to use Zhou to keep tabs on me, she had no right to complain about my decision, especially since it does not concern her directly.'_

Jack could hear Gabe getting angrier with every word and was sure that the other man was pacing around in his office by now.

"I don't use agents to keep tabs on you. Just to get it out of the way. But, Gabe, a Yakuza heir? Really?"

_'Jack, she is not just a Yakuza heir. She saved Jesse from certain death. And had been on the run for longer than she is willing to admit. She deserves a second chance.'_ The angry edge of his voice was gone, replaced by tiredness.

"Any other reason?" Jack asked, already knowing the answer.

_'You know me too well, carino. Remember the first mission after we finished with the SEP? It was the kid's mother that I saved. You never saw her, but it's Takara and Sojiro's daughter. I couldn't leave her on the run from whatever assassins and bounty hunters are after her.'_

Jack smiled softly at the phone on his desk. It was just like Gabe to offer a safe haven to a girl, just like that girl's parents had once offered him.

"I trust your judgement, Gabe. But I would like to meet the newest addition to your team."

_'Thanks, Jack. I'll send her over as soon as possible, she went to the infirmary to tell Jesse. Say, you have any plans this evening? Angela said they opened a new bar downtown...'_

"I'll clear my schedule. What time?"

_'Let's go with seven. Okay?'_

"Alright. See you then, Gabe."

_'Later, Jack.'_

With that, Jack hung up the phone and started the intercom.

"Athena, please tell Commander Amari to join me ASAP," he called to the AI that had taken the place of personal assistants for a few months now, since Winston had finished the development.

"Right away, Strike Commander Morrison, but it may take some time, as she is in the infirmary, with Fareeha." the AI replied.

"No problem, I can wait a little. Thank you." Until Ana arrived, he should plan some things.

First, a meeting with both Overwatch and Blackwatch agents. Just to remind that commanders were still commanders, Overwatch and Blackwatch.

Then, to push forward the departure of the agents to Ecopoint Antarctica. He had a feeling that the headquarters would get no peace while both agents Zhou and Shimada were in the same building.

And to cancel the meeting he'd had planned for that evening.

It had been far too long since he had allowed himself to go out and enjoy some quality time with Gabe. Not for lack of interest, but because they seemed to never be at the same location for more than a few hours at a time.

Humming to himself, Strike Commander Jack Morrison started making plans for the evening. Possibly the night, too.

* * *

Hanae knocked on the infirmary door. A kind-looking middle-aged woman opened the door.

"Hello, I am here to see Jesse McCree, could you please show me where he is?"

"Of course, dear, come in!" the woman ushered her inside, closing the door behind Hanae. "Jesse's room is right this way, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer, he's still with dr. Ziegler. I'm Ana, by the way," the woman introduced herself, holding her hand out for Hanae to shake.

"My name is Hanae. It is a pleasure to meet you." Hanae shook Ana's hand, silently marvelling at the other woman's firm handshake.

"The pleasure is all mine," the woman replied. "Come. Sit down while you wait for Jesse," she continued pointing at a couch set against a wall, with a small coffee table in front of it.

"Care for a cup of tea?" Ana offered, as she made her way to a small kitchenette on the left wall.

"Yes, please." Hanae sat down on the couch. It was far more comfortable than it looked and she felt herself relax.

"So, Hanae, where are you from?" the woman asked, while she filled an electric kettle with water and turned it on. "I'd guess Asia, based what you're wearing, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on eastern clothing," she chuckled.

"Japan, actually. And it is called a yukata. It is an informal robe that Japanese people usually wear in the summer, and the pattern varies according to age," Hanae explained, gesturing at the bright blue garment, embroidered with swirling clouds and rain.

The kettle beeped loudly as the water boiled. Ana took out two teacups from an overhead cupboard and set them next to the kettle, then started rummaging through a box, searching for the teabags.

"Tea preferences? And what do you mean 'according to age'?" she asked shooting a look over her shoulder.

"Jasmine green tea, please, if you have any." Hanae fiddled with the left sleeve of her yukata. "Well, to put it simple, the older one is, the darker the colour and simpler the pattern of the yukata. For example, a young girl wears multicoloured robes, young, single women wear patterns, but tend to stick to shades of the same colour," she explained, gesturing to the blue dress she was wearing, "and older women usually wear darker colours and very simple patterns, mostly geometrical."

Ana hummed a sound of approval and made her way over to the couch, a tray with the tea cups in her hands. She set the tray on the coffee table and offered one of the cups to Hanae.

"I usually put honey in mine, but I brought honey, sugar and lemon, so choose whatever you like," she said, gesturing to the small jars and the plate with lemon slices on the tray.

"Thank you again, mrs. Ana," Hanae said, picking up her cup and adding a spoonful of honey.

"Just Ana, dear, I am not that old!" the woman chuckled.

The two sipped their tea in a comfortable silence. Hanae could feel the dragons relaxing, too, and couldn't help the soft sigh that escaped her at the realisation that, at last, she could just sit and enjoy a cup of tea, without having to look twice over her shoulder every minute.

It wasn't until she managed to shake it off that she realised just how tense the encounter with Zhou had left her.

However, the two women were soon interrupted by a girl, looking about ten years old, running straight for them. Ana had just enough time to set her tea cup down before the girl threw herself at the woman, arms wrapping her in a tight hug. Ana smiled brightly and hugged the girl back.

Hanae shifted in her seat and, in the absence of anything else to do, just sipped her tea, listening to the girl chattering.

"... and then Mercy let me tie the end of the bandage and she said I did great and that if I kept up the good work she might just make me her personal assistant!" she said, the enthusiasm on her face making Hanae smile.

"Dear, have you forgotten your manners?" Ana chided the girl, remembering the woman with whom she had had tea.

The girl looked up and noticed the other woman. Wide, dark eyes studied Hanae for a few seconds before she stood up to her full height which, granted, wasn't that tall, and held out her hand.

"Hi. I'm Fareeha," she greeted, smiling.

"Hello, I am Hanae," the Japanese woman responded shaking Fareeha's hand.

"Your dress is really nice," the girl commented. "I like the colour and the pattern."

"Thank you. I like them too." Hanae made to pick up her tea cup again with her left hand. The sleeve rode slightly up, exposing the edge of the tattoo currently hosting her dragon companions.

Hanae didn't pay it much mind until she heard Fareeha gasp.

"Whoa, cool tattoo! May I see it all?" she asked, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. "Actually, I have one too, see?" she continued, pointing to her right cheekbone where, true to her words, there was an elegant tattoo that made her right eye a look-alike to the Egyptian 'Eye of Horus'. "My mom says it is a tradition to have a tattoo below your eye. And that it keeps your spirit strong, your heart true and your eye steady. Does your tattoo have a story?"

"Actually, yes. And it does one cool trick. You want to see it?" Hanae asked Fareeha, while pulling the left side of her yukata down to reveal the full tattoo. The girl's eyes went even wider and she just nodded. Hanae only smiled and called for the dragons.

The tattooed silhouettes glowed bright blue and the twin spirits materialised. Looking up, she saw Ana watching the spirits with wide eyes, a protective arm around her daughter's shoulders.

Feeling the female presence all around, this time it was Sora the one who went investigating first.

She made her way to Fareeha and Ana and bowed her little head, in a non threatening gesture. The girl squealed with delight and sat down on the floor, petting the little dragon.

Umi, on the other hand, remained perched on Hanae's shoulder, watching Ana. The older woman seemed to assess the new situation with a soldier's eyes. When she was satisfied that the dragon would not harm Fareeha, she joined the girl in playing with Sora.

"Her name is Sora," Hanae provided, when the girl looked up at her again. "And this is Umi, her brother."

The next moment, Umi flew down from her shoulder and flung himself at a figure exiting one of the rooms down the hall. From the distance, Hanae could not see her features and she jumped to her feet, ready to dash after the dragon, ready for the terrified scream that tended to appear in the presence of the twins.

Instead, she heard a familiar laughter echoing down the hall as she watched a blonde woman in hospital uniform walk down the hall.

"Angela?" Hanae asked, not believing her eyes.

"Hello, Hanae," she greeted, nodding her head, arms full of a comfy looking dragon. The Japanese woman let out a startled gasp, then flung herself at the doctor.

"What is the meaning of this, how are you here?" she asked, while hugging the blonde tightly.

"Well, I work here. Have been for the last two years. What about you, last I heard you were months from taking over the family business?" Angela asked. But, before Hanae could reply, the speakers came to life.

"Commander Amari, Strike Commander Morrison asked to see you as soon as possible," a female voice called out.

"Tell him I'll be there in five minutes, Athena," Ana replied, then turned towards the two women, still hugging each other. "Mind telling me what is going on here?"

Their hug came to an abrupt end. Hanae cleared her throat, searching for the right words to explain, when Angela spoke.

"Three years ago, Hanae trained in combat medicine with me for a little over six months. I didn't expect to see her again, although we kept in touch via email."

The two older women looked each other in the eye, neither saying a word for a solid minute. Then Ana smiled, no, straight up grinned at the two, shoved a military beret on her long, black hair and made her way to the door.

"Fareeha, we have to go, come on," she called to the girl. Fareeha stood up, arms full of a tangled up Sora. She made her way to Hanae, who held out her hands and picked up the dragon, who simply sat herself on the woman's shoulders.

"Thanks!" Fareeha beamed at the woman. "Bye!" she called, running to catch up to her mother.

"See you around, Angela, Hanae!" Ana called out as she left the infirmary.

_'We keep the girl,'_ she mumbled in Hanae's ear. _'If Umi can keep his cowboy, I keep the girl.'_ Hanae smiled at the words and scratched her head.

"So, how come you are here?" Angela asked Hanae again.

"Actually, I came to see agent Jesse McCree. Could you show me to him, please?" Hanae requested, remembering her task. "

Of course, this way," Angela led her down the hallway. "Be careful, though, he has had a head injury and must rest for a few days."

Hanae said nothing, just followed the doctor, until they reached a door and Umi joined his sister on Hanae's shoulders.

* * *

After at least three more warnings from Angela, Hanae was, at last, admitted into Jesse's room. The cowboy was sitting on the crisp white bed, fiddling with his hat.

Clean of the dirt and grime of a week long mission, he looked far younger than Hanae had estimated. In fact, he had to be rather close to her own age.

He lifted his eyes from the hat in his hands when he heard steps shuffling towards his bed. For a moment there was an expression akin to surprise on his face, but it was quickly replaced by a genuine smile.

"Well, howdy, darlin'! Didn't think you'll drop by," he greeted her, hands still and hat forgotten for the moment.

"Hello, Jesse McCree," she greeted him in exchange, suddenly nervous. Umi perched up from her shoulder and slithered down her yukata and across the floor, then up on the bed and straight in Jesse's lap.

"Just Jesse will do. Nobody calls me by my whole name unless I'm in trouble." He scratched the dragon's head with one hand, while rubbing the back of his neck with the other.

For a few minutes, the two were silent, neither sure of how to begin a conversation. Jesse's attention seemed to be focused or the dragon in his lap, face flushed slightly.

Hanae awkwardly fumbled with the left sleeve of her yukata, only to realise that it was still down, her arm and part of her chest still uncovered, from when she had shown her tattoo to Fareeha. While her breast bindings were in place, hiding most of her chest from view, the tattoo dipped quite low and, honestly, her current look left little to the imagination.

She, however, refused to be embarrassed, although Jesse's flush made sense now. She cleared her throat and decided to approach this conversation like any battle: head on.

"Look, Jesse," she began, the name sounding foreign on her tongue, "I have not told you the truth. Well, not all of it."

"Well, not like I can blame you, we have only known each other for, what, a day, a day and a half, and I was unconscious for most of that time," he grinned, looking her in the eye. "Not like we had any time for some good ol' heart to heart."

Breathing deeply, she summoned both dragons back to her. The tattoo glowed blue fora second, then the twins were gone. Excepting for Umi's complaints.

"That is true. Still, I think you should know the truth about me if we are to work together." She tightened her fists, resolve crumbling with every second. One more deep breath, just a little more, and she could go away. "My name is Shimada Hanae, former heir of the Shimada-Gumi, the biggest branch of the Japanese Yakuza."

Hanae didn't wait for him to put head to head the information. She left the room without another word, then the infirmary, grateful that she didn't bump into Angela again.

Silence enveloped her. She only broke it to ask a huge man with hair like a lion's mane where the training room was. He was kind enough to lead her there and leave her alone, no questions asked after he heard that she was Commander Reyes' agent.

Then all fell silent again. Even the Dragons. Even her thoughts. Until the silence turned deafening and she couldn't stand it. That was the moment she picked up her bow.

* * *

For months now, he had been a captive inside his own body. He could still think, yes, but his will, his spirit, had been chained. The last thing he had done as himself was to send Yuki away.

The dragon spirit had protested, at first, not wanting to leave his master all alone against _**him**_. But the man had given him a mission.

_'Find her. Whatever happens to me, find her. Tell her to run, to hide, to stay safe. Tell her to never come back. And tell her that I am sorry. And that I love her. Tell her that I lived my life with no regrets but one. That I failed her this time. Now go, before **he**  gets here!'_

So the dragon had gone and the man had been left alone. A prisoner. **_He_**  had tried to break his spirit completely, make him forget everything. Himself and her and Yuki and everything that made him who he was.

When the man resisted, _**he**_  had chained his spirit, hidden somewhere between two worlds. In a place where nothing could ever reach the man. But the man had kept fighting. It was all he had left.

And, one day, a small breeze smelling of lightning and thunder found him. And, carried by the current, he heard a voice, that his heart begged for him to remember.

'Genji'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, one more chapter done, and no real action yet... kinda.   
> The Genji POV was inspired by a certain POV in Sarah J. Maas' series Throne of Glass. Any fans of those books around?   
> Welp, that's about it, enjoy!  
> Cheers, y'all!   
> -Damy :)


	6. Of Challenges and Underestimations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had a few bad days. Anahardt makes me feel better. Conclusion: some fluffy Anahardt ahead.

The moment she exited the infirmary, she had stopped being 'just Ana' and had become 'Commander Ana Amari, second-in-command to Strike Commander Jack Morrison' again.

Not that she minded. She had always understood what her job required of her. But it was nice to have someone to talk to who didn't expect her to pull rank the moment things didn't go her way.

Besides, it could turn out to be useful to have another wildling on base. Oh, she had recognised what the girl was from the moment she had called the dragons. To have such control over the spirits... with all her experience, Ana might have something to learn from the younger woman.

The fact that the woman was a dragon pulled at something in her memory, she just couldn't pinpoint what. Ana knew that she had read something about dragons, back when she was still struggling to get in line with her own power. If only she could remember what...

"...please?" Fareeha's voice forced her to get back in the present.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that, dear. What were you asking?" she replied.

"I would like to go and talk to Reinhardt. Can I, please?" she repeated.

Ana was suddenly aware of the giant of a man, only a little ways away. She waved at him and smiled when he waved back and grinned. His smile turned softer when he noticed Fareeha and, for some unknown reason, Ana felt her face flush.

"Hello, Ana, Fareeha!" he greeted.

"Hello, Reinhardt," Ana greeted in response, at the same time as Fareeha chirped "Hi, Reinhardt!"

"How is my favourite little birdie doing on this beautiful day?" he asked, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Well, so far I helped Mercy bandage Jesse and made a new friend. She has an awesome tattoo on her left arm and two pet dragons that live inside the tattoo. She is sooo cool!" she sighed the last sentence, starry-eyed.

"Well, why don't you join me for a while, and tell me all about your new friend? If your mother agrees, that is..." he offered, looking at Ana.

"Actually, I have to go meet with Jack, but I do not want to intrude..." She rubbed the back of her neck, looking anywhere but in his eyes.

"Nonsense! I have offered!" he boomed. "Besides, I do enjoy spending time with the birdie." That soft smile was on his face again.

Ana couldn't help but smile too. "You are amazing, Reinhardt. Thank you."

"It is my pleasure," he told her.

With one more smile, Ana left, heading straight for Jack's office. And, for some reason she couldn't quite grasp, there was a warm feeling fluttering around in her chest for the rest of the walk.

* * *

The silence had become her most beloved companion. At first, she had hated it. Hated the halls, no longer filled with laughter and whatever music was usually blasting from Genji's room. Hated the way that even the wind had stopped making sounds, as if holding its breath.

Then the sound came back, taking the form of shouts and angry curses. The sound of threats and cruel words pierced the silence that had enveloped her. And, suddenly, the silence had become her ally. It meant solitude. Which, in turn, meant safety.

So she learned to appreciate the silence. And to summon it. To grasp that shard of safety and hold on to it. No matter the cost.

Thankfully, nobody approached Hanae in the training range for a long time. Oh, she was aware of all the people watching her shoot her bow. The dragons were getting restless. She was itching for a fight.

And she was glad that none of the people watching her were people she knew. And that she felt the same drive to fight in at least three others. So she took a breath and stopped shooting. It made no sense to use her scatters for target practice anyway. So Hanae put her bow down and went to gather her arrows from the targets.

The dragons felt it first. The male presence, stepping away from the group and getting near her weapons. She had left them as bait, wondering who would be the first one to try and get a closer look. She dared a glance over her shoulder. He was tall, fair skinned and well muscled. And about as willing to fight as her.

"One should keep their hands to themselves when it comes to other people's weapons," she called out, loud enough for him to hear her clearly.

"One should be able to back up their words with actions," he retorted.

She could feel the grin on his face from his words. Good. The dragons were getting restless anyway.

"And one should know better than to underestimate one's opponent based on their size. Especially when said opponent could kick their ass." She pulled the last arrow out of the target and turned towards him. Without another word she walked up to him and restored her arrows in her quiver.

"And one should prove their claims in person, or it might only count as bragging," he challenged, as soon as she was standing again and he could look her in the eye.

 _'He is one insolent fool. Cut him down.'_ Sora sounded bored. Hanae ignored her. She would fight. But on her own terms.

They stared at each other for a time that could have stretched from a second to an hour. She had to admire his determination. Most people didn't dare cross her when she had that look. Genji had called it _'the utterly and completely pissed dragon'_.

Hanae winced internally at the memory of her brother being, most often, on the receiving end of her look. Also, he was the only one who could make her switch to smiling in a second.

At last, the man broke the silence. "One should also accept or deny the challenge." He smirked at her, and Hanae could feel herself descending in the fighting calm. 

"Choose the object of the challenge and we will see what happens," she said, no hint of what was going on in her head.

"Well..." he mused, looking her up and down. And focusing a little to long on her chest. "You have good aim. No debating there. But can you hold your ground in a real fight?"

She was silent, waiting for him to continue his idea.

"Hand to hand. No weapons. You think you can keep up?" he asked, raising a mocking eyebrow.

She only smirked at him. Honestly, he was so predictable! Of course he would choose the option that appeared to give him an advantage.

Slowly, she started to remove the blades concealed on her and drop them next to Stormbow. Three strapped to her right arm, one in her obi, one on her back, under the chest wrappings. Two more on each thigh, and one in each shoe. From the wide eyed look he shot her, he had expected less than half. Good.

Before the last blade finished clattering on the ground, she was upon him. He blocked her fist. Barely. Before he could gain his bearings, she was swinging again. He blocked again.

She knew her best shot was to catch him unprepared. When it came to muscle, he could easily overpower her. He was bigger and stronger than her. So she resolved to keep him from forming a coherent thought. She feinted left and kicked up with her right knee. But he saw it and side-stepped, so she barely grazed the hem of his t-shirt.

She used the inertia to reposition herself and try to get behind him. He kept himself face to face with her. She spun on her right foot and lifted her left leg, aiming for his head. He stepped away again, but, this time she made contact with his shoulder. A satisfying crack filled the air, but he only inhaled sharply.

Hanae let her fists fly, in a quick sequence targeting his lower abdomen. He blocked again and, this time, struck back. His fist went for her face. She ducked and tried to hit his head with her foot again. But he saw it coming and, to Hanae's surprise, didn't avoid the hit. Instead, his hand shot up and caught her ankle, right before it could make contact.

He twisted her leg, forcing her to lose the little balance she had left. The next thing she was aware of was the hard floor against her back and the arm pressing down on her throat. For a moment, they were frozen. Then, he smirked at her again.

Hanae snapped.

She brought her hand up, seemingly to surrender and he opened his mouth to say something. Whatever it was, he didn't get a chance to say it. Her fingers hit a pressure point right above his collarbone and his arm went numb. The next hit was above his hip-bone, and his feet lost all feeling. A kick of her knee to his stomach made him recoil and their position was suddenly reversed.

Hanae was above him now, both palms on his neck and pressing into his carotid artery and his spine. He nodded his head at her and she released him.

"Damn, you are good!" he gasped.

* * *

 

Ana knocked on Jack's door, waiting for him to call her in before she entered. He gestured at her to sit down while he kept talking on the phone.

"No, sir. As far as I am aware, that is not true," he argued.

He was on the phone with director Petras, so shit must have hit the fan somewhere. If Ana were a gambler she would have bet a lot on the conversation being about Blackwatch.

"No, I am certain that there is no such a thing as a breach of the Human Rights, sir. Commander Reyes is beyond that. There are no kidnappings or torture, sir," Jack lied through his teeth, confirming Ana's suspicion.

She was well aware of the precarious position Jack was in. He had sworn to keep the hard-earned peace from crumbling again. The fast-multiplying terrorist organisations crashing their missions and attacking their agents didn't help them either.

Thankfully, in the last few months, things had gotten slightly better. But it was, mostly, due to Gabe's involvement, using the Blackwatch. And that included capturing agents belonging to said terrorist organisations and squeezing information out of them, through whatever means were necessary.

It broke her heart, to see kind and carefree Gabriel forced to put on a hard mask and deal with the captives.

"...alright. Thank you. Goodbye, sir," Jack ended the call and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need a drink. Desperately," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You need to take some time off. Just go somewhere warm and sunny and relax. The whole damn Overwatch won't collapse if you go missing for a few days," she replied, matter-of-factly.

He refused to meet her eyes, looking out the window instead.

"I can't go now, Ana. There are new recruits almost finished with the course, the UN are breathing down my neck at every turn, the best sharpshooter in Overwatch is in the infirmary and, to top it all, Gabe decided that he is ready to risk a war with the Japanese Yakuza over him hiring one of their former heirs as his sniper," he counted his reasons.

"And?" she retorted. "Torb can deal with the recruits for a little longer, I can handle the UN for a week and you pacing around your desk and fuming after each conversation with Petras won't make Jesse get better sooner. As for Gabe's new sniper and the Yakuza war, you can't control that either."

"And what am I supposed to do? Just sit around on my ass and wait? You know I can't do that!" his voice was raised and he had propped his hands on his desk.

Ana rose up from her chair and looked him in the eyes, without saying a word. For a long time, they simply stared at each other, neither backing down. Jack looked away first.

"Sorry, Ana, I had no right to talk to you like that. Please forgive me."

"I can understand that you are under a lot of stress, Jack. But it doesn't give you the right to act like an asshole. Still, I stay by what I said. You do need a vacation." Ana smiled softly at the fallen look on Jack's face. One man could only take so much pressure before he broke down.

Oh, she had plans to make a call to a certain UN official that afternoon. It would not be pleasant in the slightest. But she was one to stand by her friends, no matter what.

"Now, what did you say about the Blackwatch new sniper?"

Before Jack could answer, Gabe bust in through the door, panting slightly, as if he had run all the way from his office.

"You will not believe this."

* * *

It was indeed hard to believe. The small girl was holding her ground exceptionally well against the much larger man.

"Rogers," Gabe had supplied them. "Field agent and ruthless when it comes to fighting."

When she hit his shoulder, they winced, and, for a second, the girl's face was clear. Ana gasped as she recognised the girl who had had tea with her in the infirmary. The wildling.

When Rogers got her beneath him, she was already thinking about how to integrate some of her moves in Fareeha's training routine.

For a moment, they thought the fight was over. She looked trapped, an arm pressing down on her throat. Then, almost too fast to catch, she hit him, centred and hard, and then she was back on top, holding his neck in both her hands, ready to snap it.

Ana heard Jack's sharp intake of breath, almost as if he expected her to kill him. Then, she rose up and helped the man sit.

"That is my new sniper, Ana," Gabe added when the recording showed the girl sitting down and organising her weapons. "Shimada Hanae."

"Get her here, now," Jack whispered.

"Athena, call agent Shimada to Morrison's office, please," Gabe called out.

"Right away, Commander Reyes."

* * *

It took the man almost five minutes to regain his breath and the feeling in his limbs. When he was able to move again, he rose to his feet and headed towards where Hanae was organising her weapons.

He bowed his head and extended his hand. "Adam Rogers, Blackwatch field agent," he introduced himself.

"Hanae Shimada," she replied, shaking his hand. "Good fight."

"Damn right. You almost dislocated my shoulder. And what did you do to my arm and legs?"

"They are called pressure points. Hit them right and you can cause a lot of pain or numbness." It was the most basic definition, but it was enough to make his eyes go wide.

"Can you teach me? Please?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"I do not know. Perhaps, if I have the time," she offered, moving a little further away from him. She wasn't used to socialising, that had always been Genji's forte.

Before the conversation could go further, though, the speakers went on.

"Agent Shimada, Commander Reyes requires your presence," Athena called out.

Hanae took the opportunity to escape a situation that was slowly slipping out of her control.

"Agent Shimada, the Commander asked to meet you in Strike Commander Morrison's office," the AI added.

"I am going now, Athena. Thank you."

"Let me take you to the boss' office," Rogers offered.

A polite refusal was on the tip of her tongue. Then she realised she had no idea where the Strike Commander's office was.

"Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was nice. And a bit difficult to write. Hope I did okay with the fight scene :)  
> Keep in mind that I am open to requests for certain POV's. In case you want any character in particular, just let me know!  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


	7. Of Realisations and Threats

Jesse McCree was a smart young man, in spite of popular belief. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to make sense of what Hanae had told him.

Unfortunately, those seconds were enough for her to run out of the room, before he had a chance to say a word. And he did blame the fact that she had showed up half-naked.

However, blame or no blame, she was gone before he could react. And not that he blamed her. He had heard of the brutal way the Shimada-Gumi controlled Japan. She was probably expecting him to pull out his gun and try to put a bullet through her head. Had they met a few years ago, he would most likely have.

But now... now he just wanted to tell her that he understood her and that she was safe now, no longer under the iron fist of the Shimadas. He had felt it, the way the world had changed the moment he met her.

It didn't help that Mercy had confined him to the infirmary for three days. But he could use the time to his best interest. So he asked a nurse to get him his laptop and began researching the Shimada-Gumi. The deep web proved quite the helper.

Jesse let out a whistle as he beheld just what the Shimada clan was dealing with. Which was anything and everything, from drugs to prostitutes to killers-for-hire. And to think that the girl who put herself in danger to save him came from that rotting place...

From the bits and pieces he could put together, the current leader was Shimada Genji, who ruled the clan with an iron fist. Which was weird, as, a year ago, the same Genji was posting silly selfies on the web and was enjoying life to the fullest.

Something didn't sit right with Jesse. It made no sense how and why a kid like that would suddenly become the biggest mob boss in Japan.

His search yielded few informations about Hanae. Only that she was Shimada Sojiro's daughter. And a very old picture of a Japanese family, featuring a tall and buff man with darker skin. Unfortunately, his face was obscured by a sakura branch.

The family consisted of a kind looking man, a beautiful, smiling woman and two kids, a girl and a boy, both under the age of five. The boy was grinning and pointing at something on his father's head. The girl was holding her mother's hand and smiling shyly to the camera and it took Jesse a few moments to realise that, indeed, that was Hanae. Which meant that the boy was Genji, her brother. From what he had gathered he was barely eighteen at the moment...

He was startled out of his thoughts by the door of his room being slammed open. He looked up only to see one of the persons he least wanted to.

"Oh, Jesse, I heard you got hurt on the last mission. How are you feeling?" Mei asked, her voice unbearably high.

"Why, thank you, Mei, dr. Ziegler patched me up alright," he answered, polite but flat.

"Oh, that is so good to hear, Jesse!" she said, making his name sound more like 'Jes-sie' the way she said it. The cowboy hated it. Especially since he could no longer blame it on her native accent. Hanae was asian too, and she had pronounced his name right from the first time. In fact, he could listen to her say his name for hours...

"What are you looking at?" Mei asked, looking over his shoulder to the laptop propped in his lap.

He slammed the lid shut a little harder than he intended. "Blackwatch stuff. Confidential an' all," he answered curtly. Not that the girl was able to take a hint.

"Oh, surely you don't have to work if you are sick! Is Reyes really that cruel?" she chimed. Jesse was already tired of her voice.

"Commander Reyes lets us choose when we work on what," he replied, stressing the word 'Commander', "as long as he can see results."

"Well, he will see quite the results, with the, uhm, people he hires lately," she said, catching Jesse's attention. Well, if this wasn't an occasion to find out more about Hanae...

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Well, don't get me wrong, but he brought a true snake inside Overwatch. It wouldn't surprise me if she caused the whole thing to blow up!" she complained. "Did you know that the girl he calls his agent is Yakuza? A ruthless killer, showing no remorse. She tried to kill me when she saw me, a little while ago!" Mei's voice was scratching at his eardrums.

"How come?" He was willing to endure the slow torture, if it meant getting information.

"Well, I have no idea! Just came at me out of nowhere. But she had always been like this, jumping to fight whenever things didn't go her way. I met her once, you know, a few years ago. She was just as blood thirsty then too. Tried to kill me several times. Almost succeeded once. Her brother stopped her," she went on.

"She has a brother?" Jesse asked, silently praying for a miracle.

"Well, yes, she does. Although I heard that they had some falling out, a year or so ago, right after their father's funeral," she said, her voice going even higher.

"Well, that is not that weird, is it?" Jesse mused, mostly for himself. His miracle appeared then, in the shape of dr. Angela Ziegler, who came in to check on her patient.

"Agent Zhou, what are you doing here? Jesse has no clearance for visitors yet! Please, check with me next time, before you barge in on my patients," Angela chewed the woman out.

"Oh, but Jes-sie doesn't mind me, do you?" she asked the cowboy, who suddenly found himself unable to speak.

"Regardless of his position, any visitor must check in with me before entering the patient ward. Now, please, leave the infirmary. Agent McCree should be resting," Angela held her ground. "And no more comments, young lady, or I will be forced to take this to one of the commanders," she added when Mei tried to defend herself.

"Yes, dr. Ziegler." With that, Mei exited the room at last. Jesse took a deep breath, relieved. Now, if he could just go back to his research...

"You know, you should talk to Gabriel about her," Angela told him while checking his vitals.

"Who, Zhou?"

"No. Hanae. And take everything Mei-Ling said with a grain of salt. There is much pain inside your new team mate. You know I am not one for this kind of thing, but it was obvious enough to make me notice. She needs a friend, Jesse," Angela said as she looked him in the eye. "Desperately."

Something in her voice picked at a small part of his brain. The way Hanae had entered, dragons exposed and with a small smile on her face. The way Angela spoke, as if...

"You know her, don't you?" he asked, earning a raised eyebrow from the stern-faced doctor. "Hanae Shimada. You have met her before. Maybe got close enough to know her, the true her, from beneath the mask. Am I right?"

Angela seemed to calculate her next words carefully.

"Yes."

* * *

After he asked Athena to call in the new agent, Gabe let himself relax in the stunned silence of his two best friends. Not that he was less stunned. He had expected the girl to be good, better than good, even, but she was beyond his wildest dreams.

He was already planning a training programme that would take agents in a groups of five, to avoid interfering with missions. He wanted all his agents to learn from her. And, from the looks on their faces, he doubted Ana or Jack would argue against it.

A soft knock sounded from the door. It seemed to awaken his friends.

"Come in," Jack called.

The door opened and Hanae entered. She held her head high and Gabe was surprised to see that the left side of her yukata was still down, exposing her tattoo. He admired the intricate pattern of the tattoo. It reminded him of the similar art on Sojiro's upper arm and torso, which he had studied in detail back in Hanamura.

The door closed behind her, but not before Gabriel caught a glimpse of Rogers behind it. He chuckled to himself. If he knew the man, and Gabe prided himself on knowing his agents, Hanae would end up asked out by her fellow agent before the end of the month.

A movement at the desk caught his eye. Jack had risen to his feet and had started walking towards the girl.

"I am Strike Commander Jack Morrison, and this is my second in command, Commander Ana Amari," he introduced. He towered over the girl by at least thirty centimetres, but that didn't intimidate Hanae.

She bowed low, with respect for the man in front of her. "I am Shimada Hanae. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Strike Commander Morrison. I have already had the pleasure to meet Commander Amari," she added, looking Morrison in the eye, no hint of fear.

"Yes, Jack, we had tea together. I didn't know you were Blackwatch's new sniper, Hanae," Ana added, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Jack looked about to self-combust.

That was his cue, then. Gabriel walked to the two, now holding a full out staring contest.

"Okay, that is enough, Jack. Try not to blow an artery, alright, carino?" He set his hand on Jack's shoulder, efficiently dissipating the tension.

"You're right, Gabe. Well, welcome to Overwatch, agent Shimada!" he said, holding his hand out to her. Hanae shook it firmly.

"Thank you, sir." Her voice was... emotionless.

"Well, now that you have been properly introduced, I suppose you are wondering why we called you here," Gabe began, stepping slightly in front of Jack.

"You are the Commander. It is not my place to question your decisions." Prudent answer. Used to dealing with authority.

Gabe hoped she would balance out the enthusiasm Jesse usually displayed. However, he wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to respond. The downside of dealing daily with the sass and inquiries that seemed to define Blackwatch agents.

"We saw your fight with agent Rogers," Ana said, sensing his discomfort. Hanae just looked at her, waiting for the sentence. "I, for one, was beyond impressed. You used his arrogance against him, and it won you the fight. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Commander."

"Why did you fight him?" Jack asked, tensing again.

"He challenged me. I accepted. We fought. I won," she answered, no hint of emotion in her voice.

"How did he challenge you?" Morrison kept a stern expression and tried to stare her down. She didn't back down, but Gabe could feel her tensing up too.

"Jack, I think that is enough," Ana tried to placate him.

"I don't believe this," Gabe sighed, making Jack turn to him.

"What?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"You actually believe whatever Zhou told you, don't you?" The Blackwatch Commander now faced the Overwatch Strike Commander, arms crossed over his chest.

"Look, Gabe..." Jack began, trying to explain himself.

"No, don't you Gabe me! I thought we settled this, normally, like two adults should. I explained myself and you still go by the word of the most unreliable agent in the entire organisation!" he interrupted. "Sometimes I don't understand you, Jack, really!"

"Maybe I would trust your judgement more if I didn't have to cover for you every time Petras calls!" Jack snapped.

* * *

From the moment Commanders Reyes and Morrison had started fighting, Ana, no, Commander Amari, had signalled her to join her in one of the chairs.

Hanae was halfway across the room when Morrison's words made her freeze. She could feel the blow they dealt to Reyes. The dragons roared in her ears, shutting out Gabriel's retort, although she could hear him raising his voice.

 _'He dares? He dares hurt one of ours? The one who made us safe again? Take him down!'_ It was no longer the playful chatter of the twins. It was an open threat. Their roar was deafening.

Her tattoo began glowing, threateningly. She sank to her knees, palms over her ears. Ana jumped from her chair, trying to help her. The dragons roared again. The world became electric blue. It was purely Hanae's will that kept the twins still locked inside her tattoo.

"Gabe, Jack, stop it!" she heard Ana say, somewhere, in a different world. She felt her soul fade in and out of her body. Then, Hanae felt a small sting in her left shoulder and the world turned black.

* * *

Her soul decided to take an improptu trip to the Dragon Hall. She blinked, once, when she found herself in front of the carved doors of the Hall. The silence was a blessing, compared to the deafening roars that she remembered preceding her trip. Not that it was long lived.

She opened the doors and was greeted with the familiar shouting of the dragons.

 _'Stop it, Sora, you'll only make it worse,'_ the green spirit was trying his best to restrain the blue female.

 _'She shot him! She hurt my brother! Release me, Yuki!'_ she screeched.

 _'Not until you calm down. Umi is only asleep. You have to calm down, now.'_ The green dragon was trying to make his cousin see reason.

However, Sora was proving difficult to talk to. She roared again, trying to force Yuki to let her go.

 _'I said let. Go. Of. Me!'_ Hanae had had enough.

"Sora," she called, both dragons turning towards her instantly. "That is enough." She didn't have to say anything more.

The spirit ceased her struggle and untangled herself from Yuki's hold, to go sit next to her brother. The green dragon sighed and morphed into a human-like form that greatly resembled Genji.

 _'Welcome back, Hanae,'_ he told her, a tired smile on his face.

"Yuki... what happened?"

 _'Where should I begin?'_ he asked himself, his face in his hands. _'It appears that you have successfully made contact with at least one other wildling. They could feel the twins slipping out of your control. So, they put you in a forced sleep, and managed to incapacitate Umi. For now, that is. He should be back in top shape in a couple of hours.'_

Hanae said nothing more, simply walked up to the spirit and held him in a tight hug. He held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him from drowning.

The young woman felt the tears rolling down her face and, for once, did nothing to stop them. It was all she could do to stop herself from leaving and heading straight to the lair of the one who called himself the Dragonlord and who had thought it was in his best interest to rule the Shimada clan. And who had taken her brother from her.

It was a long time before she finally felt herself relax and she could breathe properly again. The green dragon held her, and was soon joined by Sora, who had also morphed to her human form.

"Thank you," Hanae whispered to the two.

 _'No problem, sister,'_ Yuki told her. Hanae released her hold on the dragon. He stepped back, giving her space and letting her see the tear streaks on his face. _'I miss him too. You are not alone, remember that.'_

"Thank you." Words couldn't begin to express her gratitude towards the dragon.

 _'So, what do we do now?'_ Sora asked, sitting back down next to Umi. _'She hit you with a sleep dart. It hit Umi's tail. I claim the right of vengeance for raising a hand against my brother.'_ Her words were spoken in the ancient manner of the great Dragons.

"No. You acted against my command. You have no right at vengeance, as your actions against me forced the other Wildling to act. However, should anything happen to your brother, you will have the first blood of whoever is guilty," Hanae told the female dragon. It was again the old manner of speech, the only way to override a challenge.

Sora bared her teeth, but didn't dare challenge Hanae. She resumed her watch over her brother's limp form.

 _'You should go back, Hanae. Leave the twins here, I will send them to you as soon as Umi is awake. But they must be worried by now,'_ Yuki told her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, perhaps that would be best. Thank you again, Yuki," she said, grasping his hand and looking straight at him.

 _'Anything for you, little one. Now go. You are needed there. Remember, you have a great path in front of you. You only need to take the first step.'_ Yuki hugged her one last time and then morphed back to his dragon form.

Hanae turned on her heel and walked out the doors. The blue and green clad guards bowed to her. She bowed her head then closed her eyes, searching for the thin bond she had with her body. It burned bright blue and she held tight.

* * *

"Hanae? Can you hear me?" a voice was calling to her.

Hanae opened her eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the sudden light. Slowly, Ana's face came into focus.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Oh, you gave me quite the scare. I am deeply sorry, but you were going into shock and I had no option but to use my sleep darts. You should get rid of the dizziness in a few minutes," the older woman explained.

Hanae nodded and sat up, back resting against the desk, her eyes closed again and her head spinning. When she felt like she could move without the whole world spinning around her, she opened her eyes and rose to her feet. In an instant, Ana was at her left side, trying to hold her up. She helped the younger woman sit down in one of the chairs.

Hanae settled and rubbed her left shoulder. It felt strange. Numb and burning at the same time. And... hollow. She supposed the twins were still in the Hall, so it made sense. However, she couldn't say she wasn't bothered by the feeling.

"I believe I owe you an apology," Commander Morrison's voice startled her from her thoughts. "I was quick to assume the worst and not offer you even the benefit of the doubt. I am sorry and I will do my best to never repeat my actions." He was looking her in the eyes again, but his eyes now shone with kindness and honesty.

"I accept your apology, Commander. But, and I might step a little over the line, I believe that it is not me that you should apologise to," she told him, without breaking eye contact.

"You are right, Agent Shimada," he replied, lost in thought.

Hanae felt the dragons return. Good. The dizziness was almost gone now. She should leave. It was no longer her place to remain in the Strike Commander's office. She started thinking of a proper excuse to leave, causing the least disturbance. Then she felt it.

To be honest, the dragons felt it first. The loud banging on the office door came seconds later, followed by a large man bursting in with the limp form of a small person in his arms.

Ana jumped up and was next to him in the blink of an eye.

"What happened, Reinhardt?" she choked out.

"I don't know, Ana. She was right as rain one moment and collapsing the next one. She was holding her hand over her eye, mumbling something about her soul and her eye, so I thought it best to bring her here, instead of straight to Angela," he rambled.

 _'Of course,'_ Sora supplied. _'It was meant to happen. You should know that better than anyone, Hanae. Remember how long it took you to accept the bond?'_

Hanae knew exactly what Sora meant. She still had nightmares of the week when she could no longer control her body and spirit, both fighting against the two dragons. She had been one of the best cases. It had taken Genji over a month to fully accept the bond with Yuki. And they had been prepared.

From the looks of it, Ana had no idea what was going on. She was holding her daughter close and muttering in Arabic, her composure gone. She lifted her eyes to Hanae and the younger woman saw the panic in the mother's eyes.

Hanae sat up from the chair. She had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, another long one up :)  
> The fight escalated quickly, I know. But keep in mind that Jack is in between a rock and a hard place, with the UN breathing down his neck. Gabe has just returned from a long and exhausting mission and neither are able to discuss things like grownups.  
> Guys and gals, have you seen the new animated short and origin story? I mean, young!Reinhardt! And Moira? Nice character concept. She will come into play soon here too :) ;)  
> Also, I have a wild plot bunny running around my head, along the lines of fem!McCree and young!Hanzo. Anybody curious?  
> Do you want more Genji scenes? More noodles? More Jesse? Please leave feedback :)  
> As usual, sorry for any mistakes, point them out and I'll do my best to fix them.  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


	8. Of Explanations and Exhaustion

"Ana, you should get Fareeha to somewhere safe and comfortable. It might make the transition faster," Hanae told the older woman, forcing her to look in her eyes.

"What do you mean? What transition?" Ana's voice cracked slightly when she spoke.

"I will explain everything. All that I know, at least. But first, she needs to be somewhere familiar," Hanae said, sternly, helping the woman to her feet.

"I can carry her to your room, Ana," Reinhardt intervened.

"Yes, our room will do," Ana said, as if in a trance.

Hanae called the dragons.

"Can you help her? Make her reconcile her two halves faster?" she asked them through the bond.

_'I make no promises,'_ Sora said, _'but I will do my best. I like the girl.'_  

The spirit slithered out from the tattoo and curled up on the crown of Fareeha's head. For an instant, she seemed to glow brighter, then it was gone. But the girl was breathing deeper and more relaxed.

"Sora will try to help," Hanae told Ana, then turned towards the man who was still holding the girl. "Lead the way, sir."

He didn't wait for another prompt. He left the office and walked down the corridor, leading the two women towards where, Hanae supposed, Ana's quarters were situated.

When the girl was laying on a bed, Sora still curled next to her head, Hanae made Ana sit in an armchair and face her.

"What is happening to my daughter?" the older woman asked, her eyes focusing on Hanae's face.

"Ana, have you ever heard of the Wildlings?" Hanae asked in return.

"I come from a long line of Wildlings, Hanae. Don't mock me. What is going on?" Ana's words were acidic.

Hanae blinked once. Twice. Ana was the other Wildling. The one who had realised the true threat the dragons possessed and neutralised it. Hanae would have bet on Reyes. But she was here now. Better get it all out.

"Well, sometimes, the body tries to reject the bond. It depends on how strong the soul and the spirit are. And it doesn't occur in all cases. I have been through what she is going now. It is taxing. It is unpleasant. And it can take from hours to weeks until she reconciles her body, soul and spirit. The best we can do for her is keep her safe and comfortable," she said, keeping any emotions from slipping in her voice.

"In all the archives I have studied, I have never encountered anything like you describe. How do I know you speak the truth?" Ana snarled.

"I have gone through what Fareeha is going. That week still gives me nightmares. About how helpless I was as my whole being fought against itself. I wouldn't wish something like that on my worst enemies, and I had to watch my own brother suffer. Now, it happens again. To someone who I consider a friend. So, do whatever you want. Believe me or don't, but I do not lie about things like this," Hanae replied, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Ana took her in, puffy eyes and cracking voice and all.

"I believe you," she whispered. "How can I help my daughter?"

Hanae took a deep breath.

"You should stay close to her, try making her feel as safe as possible. I will go make something for you to eat," she told Ana, who wasted no time to go sit on the bed, holding Fareeha's head in her lap and singing a soft lullaby in some Arabic dialect.

The girl visibly relaxed at her mother's closeness.

Hanae rose up from her chair and headed to the small kitchen attached to the bedroom. The solitude was as much to give the small family space as it was for herself. Checking the cabinets and the small fridge, she made an inventory of the ingredients available and the possible recipes she could cook. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to her.

So she made herself a strong cup of coffee and set to work. 

* * *

Fareeha opened her eyes in an unfamiliar room. The pain in her left eye was gone. So was the soft sound of her mother's lullabies and the raspy voice of Hanae.

_'Good. You are awake,'_ somebody said, startling her.

The girl turned around to see a young woman dressed in a bright blue tunic staring right back at her. She had almond-shaped eyes, with deep lines underneath, but she was smiling at the girl, albeit tiredly.

"Hello. You seem familiar, have we met before?" Fareeha asked her, surprised at how loud her voice came out.

_'Yes. And no. You have seen me before, just not in this form.'_ The woman's eyes were kind and she kept smiling.

"What do you mean? And where am I? I should go back, my mom is probably worried by now," the girl panicked.

_'Do not worry, little one. You are safe here. Your mother knows that. My Lady is keeping watch over her right now,'_ the woman replied.

"Your Lady? Do I know her?"

_'Yes. She sent me to watch over you. And to teach you,'_ the woman replied, serenity incarnate.

"Okay..." Fareeha agreed, reluctantly.

_'It might be hard for you to believe me. But I need you to listen closely,'_ the woman began.

Fareeha nodded and sat down on the floor, legs crossed.

_'Have you ever heard about the Wildlings?'_ the woman asked, joining the girl on the hard wood floor.

Fareeha shook her head.

_'Well, then, I should begin there.'_  

* * *

**_Long ago, at the dawn of humanity, the mortal world was a lot closer to other realms than it is now. Among those realms was Atlantis. It was not some forgotten island inhabited by humans who had made great technological advances. It was, is, the land of the Ancient spirits._ **

**_The Ancients usually took the forms of animals, but would present as humanoids whenever humans happened to pass from their home world into Atlantis._ **

**_In time, the Ancients wanted to visit the human realm. However, they could not do that just by themselves. So, they started studying the humans who arrived to their home. And the Ancients made the humans an offer. A bond. It would mark the humans, give them a permanent portal to Atlantis and abilities far surpassing their kin. Most humans accepted without hesitation._ **

**_The bond came with a catch, though. It merged the human soul with the spirit. And the humans did not survive the process. The Ancients weren't deterred by the initial failure. They didn't know what death was. but time passed, and less and less humans ventured to Atlantis._ **

**_When they stopped arriving altogether, the Ancients turned on each other. They waged a war, and it cleaved Atlantis in two. It was around the time humans began building empires. Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and Japan. They prided themselves on knowledge and power. And heroes._ **

**_Some heard the legends about the powerful spirits that had once offered humans greatness. And the humans began searching for Atlantis again. This time, though, only a few were able to find the land of legend._ **

**_They offered to try bonding with the Ancients again. Many failed, and died. But some took to the bond and it was beyond their expectations. They returned, opening a portal for the Ancients to our world. And the humans worshipped them and called them gods._ **

**_History still remembers their names. They are called the gods of ancient cults. The Greek Olympians, the Roman Pantheon, the Egyptian gods. Great names like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Jupiter, Neptun, Pluto, Horus, Isis, Anubis. All of them humans gifted by the Ancients._ **

**_Amongst themselves, they called each other Wildlings, as they had bonded with wild spirits bearing the form of animals. And the spirits were tied to them for life, able, for once, to travel between Atlantis and Earth._ **

**_The predisposition for the bond was passed through their blood, to their children. And suddenly, the spirits of Atlantis were able to bond with humans. They formed unbreakable alliances. They helped each other, laughed together, cried together, went through life together._ **

**_And the blood of the first Wildlings still lives. You have met my lady. And you are like her. A Wildling._ **

* * *

The woman finished her story, leaving Fareeha wide-eyed.

"So, this means that I am in... Atlantis?" she asked.

_'Yes,'_ the woman chuckled. _'You are inside my home, on the island of Atlantis.'_  

"Wow," the girl whispered. "This is so cool!"

The woman grinned at her. But her face soon darkened, making Fareeha calm down instantly.

"There is something wrong, isn't it? Some catch," she said.

_'Yes. Your body and soul are not ready to accept the bond, and yet it is happening. In the mortal realm, you are very ill, as your body rejects what your soul yearns to accept. That is why I was able to bring you here. It has been a long time since the last outsider has entered this place.'_  

"What do you mean? Am I... am I dying?" Fareeha asked, voice cracking slightly.

_'No. But it will be a long process to reconcile your body and your soul,'_ the woman said, trying to calm the girl.

"And what about the spirit? If I understand correctly, I should get a spirit companion, right?" The girl asked, watching the other closely.

_'The spirit will come to you, as soon as you are alright. You will get your companion, do not worry,'_ she explained.

"So, how do I get well?" Fareeha asked.

_'At last, you are asking the right question.'_ The woman smiled. _'What do you believe in?'_

Fareeha blinked, taken by surprise. She had a nagging feeling that this question didn't refer to God.

"I... I don't know. I am not even a teenager yet, how am I supposed to know something like this?" she asked.

_'You know the answer, Pharah, deep in your heart you know,'_ the woman replied.

Pharah... the way she used to butcher her name when she was a toddler, barely learning to talk. The nickname that had stuck with her for years, the name her mother never used again after her dad died in one of the attacks on the Temple of Anubis.

Her mother, who had made it her purpose to make the wrong things right again. Who had taught her the value of goodness and kindness and honesty. Of honour. Of forgiveness. And of justice.

"Justice and Honour. I believe in Justice and Honour," Fareeha answered.

_'I knew you could answer. Good. Now, focus on those. Find the place where you keep them in yourself and lock onto that. Make justice and honour your anchor. You need to discipline yourself. Anchoring in your beliefs makes it easier for you to find peace,'_ the woman told her.

Fareeha closed her eyes and tries to focus. Honour. Justice. The small buzzing of a bug next to her ear. The wooden floor. The way the woman looked so familiar, but she was unable to put a name to the face.

No, Honour. Justice. That bug really was annoying.

"I can't focus. There's a bug buzzing in my ear!" the girl complained.

_'There are no bugs in Atlantis, don't be silly,'_ the woman replied. _'Focus. Anchor yourself.'_

The buzzing was getting louder.

"I can't! Don't you hear it too?" She asked.

The woman lifted her head and listened. Her eyes widened and the hint of a smile she had on her face faded completely.

_'We are not alone.'_ Her words were followed by a string of words in a different language that Fareeha had the distinct feeling meant nothing nice. _'You need to listen to me now. When I tell you to run, you run like your life depends on it. Do you understand me?'_  

"Yes," Fareeha nodded. "But what do you mean we are not alone? What is going..."

Her question was interrupted by a bright orange glow materialising a short way away from them.

_'Run, Pharah!'_ The woman shouted at her, then she turned to face the newcomer.

_'You are not welcome here, Kado. My lady forbade you from entering the Dragon Hall,'_ she called out, her entire form glowing bright blue.

The other looked like a man, a massive man. But he was anything but. Everything good and kind had been stripped away from him. His solid gold eyes glowed with malice as they settled on the woman.

_"Silly dragon, you have put your faith in an even sillier girl. The one you call lady has no authority. Not over the Dragonlord."_ His voice gave Fareeha the same feeling she got that one time she had drawn on a chalkboard and accidentally ran her nails on it.

_'She is still Lady of the Dragon Hall. No matter what you call yourself. And even if you think you control the dragons, as long as my lady lives, the Dragon Hall is hers and you will not rule.'_ The woman now held a long sword in her right hand, a katana sword if Fareeha recalled correctly from what her mother taught her.

But the man-who-was-not-a-man chuckled darkly and began to morph. A huge dragon, glowing orange and gold, took his place and bared his teeth. Fareeha was frozen in place. The dragon looked up from the woman in front of him. His eyes found the girl and focused on her. His mouth twisted in a feral grin, exposing razor-sharp teeth.

_"Well, well, well, what have we here?"_ he chuckled, as the woman turned, wide-eyed, to see what he was so focused on.

_"Such an interesting development. Of course the girl would run into other wildlings!"_ he mused.

He lunged at her, snapping his teeth. The girl crossed her arms in front if her face trying to stop him from hurting her. But the pain never came. Fareeha risked a peek through her arms and saw a bright green shield keeping the dragon's open jaw millimetres away from her.

The shield belonged to a young man with bright green hair.

_'Run, little bird, run!'_ he called out to her and Fareeha rose to her feet and ran. She heard the battle raging behind her, but didn't dare look back.

_"I thought I have dealt with you, pest!"_ the dragon shouted at the man.

_'You know the law, and you dare break the word of the Ancients. There will be consequences, Kado, do not doubt that,'_ the man replied.

_"The Ancients are gone, they no longer have power over the dragons. You dare deny me my prey?"_

Fareeha stopped at his words. Prey? She was no one's prey. She was a warrior. She believed in Honour. And Justice. Like her mother had taught her and like her mother had been taught. Like every generation of Amari warriors.

The young woman materialised next to her.

_'Come, Pharah. I will take you somewhere safe,'_ she said, trying to get the girl to move.

"No." Her voice was steady and determination shone in her eyes. 

The woman took her in, a small girl, ready to take on one of the most powerful spirits, all because she believed in Honour. And Justice. She grinned and tossed the girl a sword.

_'Good.'_  

* * *

It was hard to grasp, the whole story Angela had told him. A story about a girl forced to grow up too fast, about a sparrow turned viper and about dragon spirits that meant so much more than he had thought. A story about a young medic forced to help people who hurt instead of healed.

It made him see both Mei and Hanae in a different light. Two girls, who had once been best friends and who had been forced to turn on each other.

Angela had told him everything two days ago. Hanae had yet to make another appearance. Jesse resolved to seek her out if she didn't appear before he was let out of the infirmary.

The hours seemed to drag on forever. His laptop provided only so much of a distraction. After Mei had left, Angela allowed no other visitors. Then Reinhardt had barged into the infirmary, saying something about Fareeha and Ana and that was about all he could make out from behind the closed door. That had also occurred two days ago.

Jesse felt like he was losing his mind. He had done all his paperwork, all the mission reports, all he could do using his laptop. He had tried to bribe Athena to at least tell him what was going on, but it seemed that even the resident AI was afraid of an angry Angela.

He was deep into his own thoughts when the door swung open and Blackwatch Commander Reyes entered Jesse's room.

"Hola, jefe, what brings you around?" Jesse asked, looking up from the screen. He was still trying to figure out who the mystery man from the Shimada photo was. 

"You have permission to leave the ward. Get your stuff and come," Reyes ordered.

"Whoa, boss, hold your horses. What is going on?" Jesse asked, while packing his laptop.

"We have a mission. Back in the States. We're leaving tomorrow morning," Reyes explained.

"Team?" Jesse was already by the door.

"Sparks, Rogers, you, me and Shimada. We've got word about Deadlock resurfacing. It will be recon, mostly. Pack up for a few weeks at least. And be ready for things going to shit," the commander briefed his agent while leaving the infirmary.

"Oh, so just the usual day for us," the cowboy grinned, his hand itching for the familiar weight of Peacekeeper.

"Guess you could say that," Reyes conceded, cracking a smile. "We leave at 05:00 AM. Don't miss the flight, cabrón."

"Sure thing, jefe!" he mock saluted, then left for his room. He had packing to do.

* * *

Two days later, Fareeha's state had not improved. She was still unconscious, but more asleep than comatose. Sora had yet to leave her post by the girl's head.

Both Ana and Hanae had gotten little to no sleep. They took turns watching over the girl and trying to rest. Ana couldn't sleep because of worry. Neither could Hanae. So she alternated between trying to meditate and pacing around the room.

Ever since Fareeha collapsed, the Dragon Hall had been inaccessible to the young woman. She had yet to discover if it was simply due to exhaustion or if Sora and Umi were keeping her out. They tended to get protective of her, but it had never been the case before.

Hanae had stopped counting after the fifth coffee and the seventh cup of strong green tea. Half her blood must have been replaced by caffeine by now. But it didn't matter, not when it was for Fareeha's sake.

Umi alerted her of the man outside the door before he could even knock. Hanae opened the door to see Reinhardt outside, hand raised to knock. In the two days she had been around, she had gotten to know the man a lot better.

"Hello, Hanae," he greeted, the volume of his voice a lot lower than usual. "How is it going?"

"Still no change in Fareeha's state. Ana fell asleep a few minutes ago, though," she told him.

"Good, good. That is good to hear." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I am sorry to disturb you, but Gabriel has required your presence on a new mission. He asked me to tell you that the team, including yourself, leave tomorrow morning, heading towards the USA."

Hanae held back an exhausted sigh.

"What time?" she asked.

"05:00 AM. And he said to not be late."

"Thank you for telling me," she replied, then turned around and headed for the bed to take her dragon.

"Sora, we have to go."

The dragon only raised her head and blinked at her. 

"Now," Hanae insisted. 

Sora slithered up Hanae's arm, resting on her shoulder. 

_'I do not like leaving the girl unprotected like this,'_ she argued.

Hanae said nothing else, instead gathered her few things from around the room and made her way towards the hall.

"Do not worry, Hanae. I will keep them safe," Reinhardt told her, resting one huge hand on her shoulder, narrowly avoiding Sora.

"Thank you. Please let me know if there are any changes while I am gone."

"Of course. Not that Ana or the little bird would let me do anything but," he smiled at her.

Hanae left without further comment. She had been assigned a room, where she stored her weapons and her clothes, including the assigned Blackwatch uniform. That was where she went, thankful that she didn't bump into anyone on the way. It did help that it was well after midnight, though. 

Once inside, she started packing. Weapons, clothes, extra materials for the arrows. Suddenly, it was 04:30 and she had to leave. Maybe she would be able to get some rest on the flight. Hopefully. Hanae had gone for far longer with far less rest. But it would be taxing.

She made herself another coffee, then set for the hangar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last night, instead of learning for my Anatomy test today, I was writing the final scene of this chapter. Priorities, right?  
> I have a headcanon that Hanzo/Hanae is amazing in the kitchen and can cook pretty much anything.  
> Anyway, kudos to CookieCorners, for figuring out what happened to Fareeha. Got any guesses on what the form/species her spirit companion will take? Or on who helps Fareeha? Let me know!  
> As usual, all feedback is appreciated and please forgive any mistakes, point them out and I'll do my best to fix them :)  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> Damy


	9. Of Desperate Plans

The shootout was not part of the plan.

In Jesse's experience, few things went according to plan during Blackwatch missions, anyway. But this must have been a new record for them. They had touched down, they had disembarked the ship and they had gone to check in at the hotel.

After that, they had split in two teams. Reyes and Sparks stayed behind at the hotel to check the rooms for bugs and install the tech. The commander sent the other three to check for any unusual activity. Jesse took that as a green card to hit the first saloon and sweet talk the waitress to gather information.

The cowboy had expressed his concerns regarding the dark circles under Hanae's eyes on the flight but she had simply told him that it wasn't any of his business, then proceeded to plug in her earphones and simply ignore anyone who wasn't Commander Reyes for the rest of the journey.

His first beer led to the second, which led to the Tequila shots. After two or three or ten, he made a joke that was not as funny as he thought. It was heard by a mountain of a man who almost put Reinhardt to shame.

"Say that to my face, city boy!" he challenged.

"Excuse ya', I'm just as much a country man as any of y'all around here," Jesse retorted.

"Yeah, an' I'm an omnic," the man snarled.

"Whoa, man, how about you part ways and leave sleeping dogs lie," Rogers tried to split them up.

"Did ya' just call me a dog?" the man rose to his feet, towering a good head above Jesse and Adam.

"Hold yer horses, partner," Jesse tried to calm him down, "is just a saying of them city folk up north."

"Don't ya tell me what to do, punk, I do as I please. And yer buddy here ain't getting away with calling me names!"

By that moment, they had captured the attention of most customers. Jesse even caught a few bets going on as of how long will it take for them to be knocked unconscious.

With the corner of his eye, the cowboy noticed Hanae. She was still holding the coffee cup she had ordered and was watching the dispute, lips tightened and knuckles white. Then, the man made a move to hit him and she jumped up as he avoided the heavy fist from finding its mark on his face.

She didn't have to say a word. The way she carried herself, with such dignity and confidence, made people step away and make a path up to Jesse.

Before the man could raise his fist again, she had put herself in between him and her fellow agents.

"Sir, if you would be so kind, do stop your attempt to beat up these men. My companions and I only came here on the recommendation of an acquaintance of ours, who claimed that this is the best place to find a drink on the whole Route 66," she said, without even raising her voice.

"Listen, missy, I don't know how y'all do them things up north, but we don't take kindly to being insulted round here," he said, as he tried to sidestep her.

Hanae met him step for step. She was gesturing behind her back, but Jesse realised that he may have had a little bit to much liquor to actually understand what she was trying to do.

"Well, then, I apologise on the behalf of my companions," she said, and her gestures became desperate.

"Missy, if I were you, I'd move out of the way," the man snarled at Hanae.

She said nothing and Jesse feared, for a second, that she would actually move aside and let the man pummel him. But she held her position, managing to stare down at the man even if she was well shorter than him.

"Move, girl. Don't push your luck further than it can go," he threatened.

"I think not." She had stopped moving her hands.

Jesse felt like his mind was running through molasses. The meaning of her gestures hit him then. **_'Get out.'_ **

The man tried to punch the girl. She ducked under his arm and forced him to turn away from the two Blackwatch agents.

Adam sensed the opening and grabbed Jesse's arm.

"Get out of here, McCree. Get the commander," he told the cowboy.

Hanae kept dodging punches and dancing around the man. A few others tried to intervene, but the man's grunts kept them away from the fight.

Rogers tightened his grip on Jesse's arm.

"Come on, stubborn cowboy!" he muttered under his breath.

Jesse turned on his heel and went with Rogers towards the exit. They were at the door when he heard the collective intake of breath. Jesse looked back, to see the man grabbing a fistful of Hanae's hair and holding her.

He took out Peacekeeper. That guy was a man of numbered days now. Before he could shoot, though, the young woman took hold of the arm holding her and pushed her feet up from the ground. It was almost in slow motion. She kicked the man in the face, startling him enough to loose his grip on her.

She followed the kick with a flurry of hits. The man dropped like a rock. In a blink, Hanae was next to the men and was ushering them outside. They had a few seconds headstart, so they tried to put as much distance between them and the bar.

Then, the gunshots started. He pulled the safety off from Peacekeeper. Rogers pulled out his shotgun and Hanae took the first fire escape to reach higher ground.

Jesse turned on the comm Reyes insisted he take before he left, just in case.

"Boss, you on? We ran into trouble down here," he said, hoping that Winston had supplied better tech for this mission.

"Copy that, McCree. We are getting our guns and coming in. Report your positions," the commander spoke.

"McCree reporting, sending coordinates now."

"Rogers reporting, code alpha-charlie-seventeen. We are pursued by at least five shooters. We have higher ground. No sentries detected so far," Adam said over the comm line.

"Shimada reporting from three stories above street level. I have no visuals of the shooters so far. Opening up ahead. Defence seems manageable," Hanae added. "Scratch that, I have visuals. Eight to ten shooters, about four blocks behind."

"We are on our way. ETA: five minutes," Reyes told the three.

Jesse was impressed with the way Hanae managed to sound so unaffected by their pursuers. Then again, she put down a man three times her size in under a minute. He supposed she was not all that intimidated by a few gunmen.

Besides, if Deadlock was still recruiting everybody, they only had to worry about numbers. He had been a better shot at sixteen than most Deadlock goons got in their whole life.

The landscape suddenly opened to a plaza/intersection and Jesse came to an abrupt stop, a little winded.

"Commander, ETA?" Hanae's question forced Jesse to focus on the present.

"Four minutes. You need to hold on," Reyes answered.

"Understood."

Jesse was glad that Adam replied to the boss, as he had yet to catch his breath. 

"Three blocks," Hanae reported. "As soon as they get in range, I'll try to take down as many as possible. Two blocks."

Jesse focused on breathing. the soft sound of feet on the pavement caught his attention. It was coming from his right, which was weird, as Adam was next to him, but on his left and they were both facing the street that had taken them to that spot.

Realisation hit Jesse again. Hard.

"Get down, Rogers!" he shouted at his fellow agent, who dropped to a crouching position just as a bullet flew through the air. "We have more company," he spat, nodding towards the direction the bullet came from.

A second team was coming from the street opposing the one they had taken, all the way across the intersection.

Rogers cursed under his breath and powered up two shield generators, each facing one of the streets.

"Shimada, catch!" the man called out as he threw another generator up at the woman. She caught it and deployed the hard light shield just as the attackers started pouring in the open space.

Jesse turned his attention to the men coming in guns blazing. He released the safety on Peacekeeper and took a deep breath. He had had enough of the Deadlock Gang to last him several lifetimes.

He had been given a second chance by Reyes. And he would make the bastards who had made that necessary pay.

He took aim and pressed the trigger. And he wasn't one to complain when his bullets were joined by Hanae's arrows, each hitting home, and Rogers' ammo, together cutting through the enemies.

* * *

The darkness had been creeping in on the edges of her vision for hours. Still, she kept shooting, arrow after arrow, each finding its mark.

"Shimada, hold the perimeter!" Commander Reyes called through her comm. "Reinforcements incoming."

She didn't ask whose reinforcements were coming. It didn't matter. Not anymore.

When she only had one arrow left, the Dragonstrike, Hanae jumped down from the rooftop she was on, reaching Jesse and Adam in seconds. They were surrounded by gang members.

"Fancy seeing you around, darlin'," Jesse drawled, and Hanae was unsure how much was because of his accent and how much from the unholy amount of alcohol he had consumed. "Head down."

His words were followed by a dry desert wind and the distinct feeling of Death arriving at the scene. He muttered _'It's high noon,'_ and Hanae dropped to the ground, taking a stubborn Rogers with her.

Somehow, she ended on top of the man again, while six quick shots filled the air. Six other bodies fell, and she let out a relieved breath she wasn't aware of holding.

"Didn't think the fight did it for you. Shimada," Rogers whispered next to her ear. "But I'll take anything to get you on top of me more often."

Hanae's reply was a series of quick jabs in key pressure points, not damaging enough to keep the man from fighting, but hard enough to give him a different thing to focus on. She rose on wobbly feet and stood back to back with Jesse.

"Reload," she snapped at him, throwing a blade in the eye of an approaching man. Blood sprayed from the wound and the man fell to the ground.

The dragons picked up the sound of automatic guns before she could hear them. Bad. This was bad.

_'Ten. At least ten with automatic guns,'_ Umi reported.

From Jesse and Adam's muttered curses, they were also hearing the new company.

"Reyes, they have automatics! We cannot hold the position, not for long. I say we regroup and get the hell outta here!" Adam called over the comms.

Hanae took in their surroundings. The buildings had been evacuated during the crisis and people had yet to return to the neighbourhood. The gang leader was no thinker. If he had had any sense of strategy, they would have long since been cut down by a well placed sniper.

From above street level, the intersection they had turned in a battlefield was roughly circular. Five, no, six possible entry points for the attackers. A crazy idea started taking shape in her mind.

"We could hold out the position," she said, low enough for only Jesse to hear her while Adam was in a full blown dispute with Commander Reyes.

"What?" he asked her, slightly turning to face the woman. She ignored him.

"Commander, there is no point in holding the position. We are three against hell knows how many. Odds are, if we stay, we're not leaving this place alive. And what for?" Adam tried to persuade the commander.

That moment, as if to contradict him, a shrill cry pierced the air. The three agents froze.

"There are civilians trapped in the crossfire," Hanae told the other two.

"Shit," Jesse spat, "we have to get them out."

"Commander," Hanae said through the comm, "I need an ETA for you."

"Three minutes, tops. We have visuals of the guys coming your way."

"Do not engage. Let them get here. Then, at my signal, unleash hell on them," Hanae told Reyes.

"Shimada, are you insane?" Rogers asked her.

"How many shield generators have you got left?" she asked in return.

"Five. But they won't hold out for long," he tried to persuade her.

"They don't have to." Hanae sprinted towards the building housing the civilians, followed closely by her team mates.

"Place generators here, here and here," she pointed. "Do not deploy before my signal."

"Are you insane? They have at least ten automatic weapons and we have a shotgun, a revolver, a few throwing knives and one arrow," Rogers all but screamed in her face.

She was planning to reply, but was cut of by the first assailant reaching open space.

"Shields up, now!" she shouted and Jesse pressed the button on Rogers' remote. Hard light shields enveloped them, holding fast against the onslaught of bullets.

"Hanae, we have twenty seconds before the shields break. No way we're getting them to waste all their ammo before that," Jesse told her.

"I don't care about their ammo. I need them to get closer. Put up the other generators," she told him, "and get ready to deploy the shields."

Wisely, he didn't comment and did as he was told.

"Rogers, get inside and try to evacuate the civilians. I've got this," Jesse told the other man, who wasted no time in entering through a window.

The shields were starting to crack. The attackers were coming in closer. An alarm started blaring.

"Deploy shield!" Hanae called. Then, she pulled on the bond with the dragons. She could almost see the whites of the first gunmen's eyes.

Hanae took the last arrow out from her quiver. She had one chance at this. The secondary shields started failing.

_'Hanae, this will drain you,'_ Umi said, matter-of-factly.

_'And, about that, I might have gotten in a fight with Kado before we left headquarters,'_ Sora added, sheepishly.

"And you didn't think it might be important to mention that earlier," Hanae replied. She didn't care that she spoke out loud.

"Care to share?" Jesse asked.

The shields cracked a bit more and the alarm signalling upcoming failure started beeping. The woman turned towards the cowboy, left arm glowing electric blue.

"Get down!" she told Jesse, then she thrust the arrow into the ground.

The dragons roared.

* * *

Gabe should have imagined that the girl's signal would be two enormous dragons bursting into existence and blasting the men closest to them into bits.

"Sparks, attack formation Black Eagle," he instructed.

"You got it, chief!" the woman replied.

Amy Sparks was one of the few women in Blackwatch. And she was a damn good mech driver.

Gabe used the handles on the back of her mech to get himself standing atop the machine. He pulled out his twin Hellfire shotguns and brought hell on the gunmen surrounding his agents, joined by the machine guns of the mech.

The fight passed in a blur. Reyes and Sparks cut through their enemies like a hot knife through butter. Suddenly, the men were either dead or surrendering, weapons dropped.

"Commander, we have civilians here," Rogers reported, when the gunfire died down.

"Numbers, Rogers," Sparks pressed.

"Six adults, three men, three women. Five kids. And two omnics."

Gabe took in the dead bodies, the few surviving goons and the bloody state of all the Blackwatch members. He might be tough, but he wasn't about to let kids be traumatised by the gore.

"Check for any back exits. If there aren't any, make one. This ain't a place for kids," Jesse intervened, before the commander could comment. Rogers made an non-committal sound, but he knew better than to expose children to the horror that meant an open gun fight.

"Well, if that ain't a voice I ain't heard in a long time," one of the men held now at gunpoint by Sparks said. "Fancy seeing you again, Deadeye!" He nodded his head in Jesse's direction.

Jesse ignored him, attending to Shimada. The girl was limp in the cowboy's arms.

"She is out cold, jefe. Might need medical assistance too," he told Reyes.

"Oy, McCree, are you still just as shit in the kitchen?" the man called out again. "Good for you, ain't it, that your mama makes them best quesadillas in the state! Mind telling her to make some for m..." he was cut off by a bullet in between his eyes.

Jesse returned Peacekeeper to the holster on his hip.

"What the hell, McCree?" Sparks asked.

He ignored her and picked Hanae up, bridal style. Then, he made his way over to Reyes. His eyes were dark, promising death.

"Kid, what's wrong?" the commander asked the young man.

"I request that two-week long leave you promised me, boss. Starting right now," the cowboy replied.

"Give me a sound reason and I might consider it."

The cowboy passed the unconscious woman to Reyes' arms. The commander watched him intently, waiting.

"Stupid over there let out more than he realised," McCree explained, nodding in the direction of the man's body. "Them Deadlocks ain't stupid. They know I ain't in jail with the other guys you snatched back then. And now they found out who I work with."

"Kid, Blackwatch has the resources to keep you safe and root out those bastards, no issue," the commander retorted.

"Deadlock leaders want me back. No matter what. So they are willing to use anyone and anything to get me back," Jesse said.

"That comment about your mother..." Sparks joined the discussion over the comm line, "they are targeting her. Using that as leverage to make you work for them again, right?"

"As rain, darlin'," Jesse agreed.

"In this case, kid, you aren't getting any leave from me," Reyes retorted. "Rogers, status on the civilians?"

"Out safe, Commander."

"Good. Get here and get ready. Deadlock gang just signed their execution order." Reyes shifted slightly, so he could carry the unconscious Hanae better. "Jesse, gather her weapons. Sparks, finish the job here. Meet me at the hotel in ten."

"Then what, chief?" Sparks asked.

"Then we move base to the McCree residence. And we go hunting."

* * *

 The man could feel the Balance of the Universe shifting. It was the calm before the storm.

Long ago, in another life, him and her had been taught all about the Great Balance and how the Ancients had sacrificed themselves to uphold it. 

The Ancients were not dead, not in the sense the man knew death. They had been fading, when they all decided to descend in the very heart of Atlantis and enter a sleep-like state. Never to wake again.

Their act severed the last threads of the physical bond that kept Atlantis anchored to Earth.

The heirs of the Ancients kept bonding with the heirs of the first Wildlings. But the free passage between the two worlds was gone.

The man was ready to welcome the change that the Shift predicted. No matter how long he had to wait.

And one day, a grey falcon stopped at his prison. The bird regarded him with keen eyes, and the man reached out to the spirit.

"I do not know you, wise one, and you do not know me. I once was Genji, dragon of the North. And I used to have a sister, the dragon of the South. I have nothing to offer you in exchange, but I am begging you, if you ever meet her, give her this message: 'Stay strong. Stay true. And forgive your fool of a brother for hurting you. Maybe, one day, we shall meet again.' Please, wise one, tell my sister this should you meet her," he begged, voice cracking.

The bird regarded him and nodded, once. Then the spirit flew away, leaving Genji alone again.

Mere moments later, the dragon returned. And the spirit struck the man. Again and again.

The man fought back, at the best of his abilities. However, his weakened state, combined with the freedom of movement the dragon had turned against the man.

When the dragon, at last, stopped hitting him and left, the man was left shivering and hurting, chained tighter than ever before. Despite the pain, he managed to smile.

For the first time, in what felt like eons, he could hear the sweet song of hope echoing in him. And if it took the awakening of the Ancients to destroy the monster calling himself Dragonlord, so be it.

"I am Shimada Genji, the dragon of the North," he whispered to himself. "I will not fear. Not now, not ever. And I will not bow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here goes chapter nine, enjoy!  
> Rogers and Sparks are official OW characters (found out their names from the wiki), but anything else beyond names came from my imagination.  
> Also, I somehow wrote another chapter without Fareeha's companion appearing. Next chapter will tackle that issue, promise.  
> Oh, please say if you want any particular pov, I tend to go through three to five characters per chapter and I am open to suggestions.  
> Do you like Genji, or should I focus on the others?  
> You have anything to say/suggest/ask, go ahead!  
> Keep in mind, feedback is thoroughly appreciated! And thank you for almost 50 kudos and almost 900 hits. It means a lot for me that so many people check out my work.  
> Have an amazing week, guys and gals!  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> Damy


	10. Of Confessions and Reunions

Hanae woke up in the Dragon Hall. The walls were sporting scorch marks, claw marks and stains that looked a lot like dried blood.

Sora and Umi were nowhere in sight. Which was wise, as Hanae was beyond mad at them. It wasn't that she blamed them for fighting Kado. But it would have been nice to know. Before she nearly burned herself out to save Jesse and Adam and the civilians trapped in that building.

Sighing, Hanae gathered the necessary supplies from one of the side rooms and set to work. She couldn't do much about the claw marks, but she washed away the blood and the ash.

She was halfway through when Umi joined her. The male picked up a cloth and joined her in scrubbing a stubborn stain off the hard wood floor.

_'Sora did what she had to do,'_ he began. _'Kado tried to claim Dragon Hall for himself. As guardians, it is our sacred duty to keep the order. No matter the cost.'_

"Nice speech, Umi," Hanae snarled. "Who helped you practice it?"

_'Listen, Hanae, we are sorry. I am sorry, I should have told you,'_ he said, as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Umi, I don't blame you for standing against that bastard," she replied, not quite meeting his eyes. "But you should tell me when something like this happens!"

_'That is correct, sister,'_ another spirit called out.

Hanae dropped the cloth from her hands and jumped to her feet. She was about to hug the green dragon when she noticed the bandage tied around his chest and upper right arm.

"Yuki... what happened to you?" she asked, checking him for any other injuries.

_ 'I am fine, Hanae, ' _ he waved her off. _'Kado tried to get me for real this time.'_

Hanae snarled at the words. "I am going to kill that bastard," she said through gritted teeth. 

_'We both know that Kado has his days numbered. However, revenge will not be dealt by your hand,'_ Yuki replied, rubbing his shoulder with his left hand. _'Besides, he was banished from the Hall in disgrace. The little bird you found has sharp talons and fire burning bright and true in her soul.'_  

It took Hanae a few moments to understand his words. 

"You mean... Fareeha was here?" she asked, eyes wide. 

_'Well, Sora called her Pharah, but I suppose it's the same person,'_ Yuki shrugged. 

That did it. The woman had had just about enough of the dragon's ideas that she, conveniently, forgot to mention.

"SORA!" Hanae called for the female twin.

The dragon materialised in front of her, in her human form. She winced when Hanae looked at her.

_'At your service, Lady,'_ Sora whispered.

Hanae took in the shivering female in front of her. The dragon was expecting punishment. Grave punishment. And, in that instant, the woman realised that Sora's reaction was not unfounded. There were more than several records of Shimada Wildlings who took out all their frustrations on their spirit companions. That same moment, the woman's anger faded away, replaced by the decision to not follow in the footsteps of her ancestors.

Hanae sat, cross-legged on the floor. She rubbed at her temples, acutely aware of the three pairs of dragon eyes watching her every movement.

"Sit with me," she called out to the other female.

Sora mimicked her position, sitting herself in front of Hanae.

"As Guardian of the Dragon Hall, you did nothing but honour your oath. There is no wrong in what you did to protect this sanctuary," Hanae began, her voice calm and collected.

The dragon was sitting with her shoulder hunched and her head down.

"Sora, look at me," the woman said, softly.

Sora slowly raised her head, her whole body shivering. Her eyes met Hanae's for merely a moment, before the woman moved forward. The dragon tensed when Hanae's arms enveloped her in a tight hug.

Then, the dragon was sobbing and clutching the woman who was holding her tight, whispering comforting words in her ears.

_'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,_ ' Sora whispered, hiding her face in Hanae's shoulder.

Hanae hummed softly, to the tune of an ancient lullaby her mother used to sing for her whenever she was distraught. Slowly, Sora calmed down. 

"It's alright, Sora," Hanae whispered. "We are all alright."

_'Thank you, Hanae,'_ the dragon replied, eyes still shining from the tears.

"Do you think you could tell me what happened?"

_'Oh,'_ Sora began, a smile blooming on her face, _'you are not going to believe this!'_  

* * *

"No," Pharah had said.

Sora felt pride swell up in her chest. This little bird had fire inside her, and not just shiny embers, but a bright flame, burning hot and true. 

_'Good,'_ the dragon smirked.

The sword felt lighter in her hands. They were fighting for Justice. And to upkeep the will of the Ancients.

Sora stood up to her full height, her dragon form becoming a huge projection behind her. 

_'Kado!'_ she shouted.

The orange dragon turned his eyes to her. His mouth curled in a hideous smile.

_'Sora, dear, I hoped we wouldn't get to this. Alas, fate works against you this time, dearest,'_ he mocked.

_'As Guardian of the Dragon Hall, I give you this last warning. By the will of the Ancients, the Hall belongs to the Heir of the South. Leave, now, and this will be forgotten.'_ The words were filled with power and determination.

Behind Kado, Yuki rose to unsteady feet and picked up his shield. Shuriken were already glinting in his _other hand._

_'Foolish dragon! The Ancients are gone! And I am master of the Dragon Hall now!'_ Kado shifted to his human form. He held twin swords in his hands.

Sora lifted her blade. A shield materialised on her other forearm. The ethereal blue light encircled her. She had one chance. Fight Kado and defend Hanae's birthright. She needed just one hesitation from the other dragon.

Then, he lunged. The two met each other strike for strike. Together, they became a whirlwind of blades and death. She lunged, he intercepted. He tried to hit, she blocked. Sparks went flying whenever their blades met. She got lucky, once, when she managed to rip one of his swords from his hand.

Then, he caught her sword and sent it flying. In an instant, she was on the floor, his foot holding her arm and shield pinned to the floor. His sword was flush against her neck.

_'See, Sora? You no longer belong as Guardian. Not that you ever did, if I am honest. A female is not fit for this kind of responsibility and your father and brother should know that,'_ he smirked, pressing the blade down enough to draw blood. _'Anyway, once upon a time, you would have made a radiant bride. However, you fought me, so you deserve punishment for raising a blade against the Dragonlord.'_ He lifted his weapon, ready to bring it down and kill the dragon. _'Goodbye, Sora.'_

But the blow never fell. Another blade wedged itself in between Kado's and Sora's neck. Curved like a question mark, and sharp enough to cut through air.

Sora followed the sword's blade with her eyes, startled to see little Pharah holding it. The girl was positively glowing, eyes narrowed with anger. 

"Hello, Kado," she said, but the voice wasn't her own. It was ancient and powerful, the kind that hadn't been heard in ages.

_'You,'_ Kado snarled, trying to pull back his sword. But the girl twisted her own, effectively holding Kado's blade captive.

"We are not as gone as one might think," she said, pulling the dragon with her and away from Sora. "Quite the contrary."

For a fraction of a second, Sora could swear she saw two people instead of one where Pharah stood. One was the human girl, ready to fight for what she believed in. And the other was a tall man, his skin dark, his head shaved and bearing the exact same tattoo under his right eye as Pharah.

_'This Hall belongs to the Dragons, Horus!'_ Kado shouted. _'Begone!'_  

"Ah, ah, ah," Pharah shook her head. "See, you have no sort of authority in here, for one. And I cam here invited, as ancient customs go. The Guardian of the Hall herself invited me inside."

_'She is no Guardian, the Hall is mine!'_

"Unfortunately for you, that is false. The Hall is the birthright of the Shimada heir. The current heir is Shimada Hanae and, by the Ancient law, her dragons are Guardians of the Hall, unless she dies without a heir or resigns her position, none of which happened as of yet," the girl replied. "Now, leave before you make an even bigger fool of yourself."

_'I think not, girlie.'_ Kado pulled back his sword and lunged for Pharah.

Several things happened at once. The bald man appeared again, standing in front of the girl. Sora jumped up, turning her shield into a sword and assumed a defensive stance. Yuki let one of the shuriken fly, grazing Kado's upper arm.

Kado lunged, but his strike was parried by the man.

"I, Horus of the Falcons, hereby banish you, Kado, from the Dragon Hall," the man spoke. "By my power and the will of the Ancients, you have no claim over the Dragon Hall. Should you come back here again by force, your very essence is to be cast in the Forbidding."

Kado let out a wordless scream. Then he shifted back to his dragon form and disappeared in a cloud of gold and orange sparks.

Sora turned to the man and kneeled. From the corner of her eye, she saw Yuki do the same.

_'Lord Horus, it is an honour to welcome you into the Dragon Hall,'_ Sora spoke.

"Guardian of the Hall, it is my honour to see South's legacy upheld by such brave spirits," he chuckled. "Tell this to your Lady," he added, tone suddenly serious, "the Ancients are stirring. The world is changing once again. And I am only one of those who are returning from their ethereal slumber."

_'Yes, lord Horus,'_ Sora bowed her head. _'Is it true, then? Pharah is your heir? I felt her connection to your line, but I couldn't be sure...'_

"Fareeha Amari is not only my heir, but my chosen companion. Even her name reminds of my old title, pharaoh. Keep her safe until she is ready, Guardian, and your service shall never be forgotten."

_'Yes, lord.'_ Sora rose to her feet, then bowed deeply to the Ancient Spirit.

He smiled at them, then shifted to his falcon form. Sora watched the bird fly away and smiled to herself. Little Pharah would grow to do big things. She had been right so far. Turning to the girl, she nodded her head.

_'Lady Pharah of the Falcons, welcome to Dragon Hall.'_  

* * *

Time seemed to stop for Hanae when Sora finished her story. The Ancients were waking again. This explained the strange shift of power she had felt.

And Fareeha was the most powerful Wildling to live in centuries. That explained why the bond was manifesting so early, and why it was so hard for her to reconcile her two natures. This required more thought.

Sora had calmed down and Yuki and Umi were nowhere in sight.

Hanae was about to call for the two males when she felt it. Her spirit was trying to return to her body. She faded in and out of the Hall, uncontrolled.

This was wrong. She struggled to get a grasp on herself. She could hear Sora calling her name, but the dragon's voice was far away and Hanae was unable to answer. Her conscience faded.

Her last thought was a desperate call for help.

* * *

With every mile bringing them closer to the house on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Jesse could feel himself getting more and more anxious. He hadn't returned in the five years since his grandpa passed. He wasn't even sure his mother and sister still lived there.

His doubts, however, were unfounded. When Amy Sparks pulled into the driveway, he noticed the mailbox sporting 'McCree Ines and Hayley' on a beautifully engraved brass rectangle.

"Eh, cabrón, anyone else around besides your ma?" Reyes asked him.

"Yeah, jefe, my older sis is Hayley McCree," the cowboy replied. "How is Shimada doing?"

"Still out cold. Can't really figure anything else until she wakes up," the commander replied.

"Well, chief, we are here," Amy intervened, parking the car.

The noise seemed to have alerted the people inside, as two women made their way out on the porch. One was older, in her late forties or early fifties. The other was much younger, mid twenties at most.

The younger woman walked towards the parked car. From up close, she was stunning: tan skin, bright blue eyes and hair light from sun exposure, partially hidden by a cowboy hat, much like the one Jesse was fiddling with. 

Before she reached them, Jesse, Reyes and Amy got off the hover-car.

"Howdy, Hayley!" McCree called out, recognising his sister.

She said nothing, just walked up to them, stopping in front of Jesse. The man towered above her, but she was still beyond intimidating. Taking the cowboy in, with a cool and clinical eye, she blew a stray hair strand from her face.

Faster than he could watch, she slapped him, right across his left cheek.

"You have some nerve, Jesse Ricardo McCree, to show up around here so soon after them Deadlocks threatened us for information on you," she said, voice cracking slightly at the end.

Jesse rubbed his face and winced at the soreness.

"Boy, you sure learned a lot of things since I last saw you," he muttered under his breath. "Fancy seeing you again too, sis," he said, louder this time.

The following punch to his shoulder was lacking the force necessary to make it painful.

"Five years, Jesse. Five damned years, with no way of contacting you, of even knowing if you are alive or dead! It ain't fair, you know..."

"For what it's worth, I am really sorry, Hayley," Jesse apologised.

"You know, it ain't me you should apologise to, Jess," she said, voice low.

Deeming the girl safe for approach, Reyes made his way over to the siblings. Hayley turned to face the newcomer, assessing him with a clinical look.

"Miss Hayley McCree, I assume?" Gabe said, raising his eyebrows at her scrutinising gaze.

"Depends on who wants to know."

"Gabriel Reyes. Currently his boss," he said, nodding in Jesse's direction.

Hayley kept watching him, eyes narrowed.

"So, I suppose you don't work with them Deadlocks no more?" she asked her brother.

"Nope. Jefe here set my mind straight," the cowboy replied.

The car door opened behind Jesse and Rogers came out, holding a still unconscious Hanae.

"Look, McCree, it's nice and all that you're catching up, but we've got a job and we're short a team member, remember?" Rogers called out.

"Well," a new voice called, "since my daughter has yet to remember her manners, allow me to invite you into my humble home." While the younger people were bickering, Jesse's mother had made her way to them. "Good to see my wayward son again," she added.

"Howdy, ma," Jesse greeted, cheeks burning red.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on my boy, Commander Reyes." Jesse's mother turned to Reyes.

"Glad to be of service, ma'am. Have we met before?" the commander asked.

"You saved my brother, when he was caught in a fire during the crisis. He told me about you. The years have been kind to you, sir."

Before Reyes could reply, the car doors opened and Adam got out, carrying Hanae. The girl was convulsing in his arms

"Commander, I think we have a problem," Rogers called out, eyes wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, guys and gals! Fancy seeing you around here!  
> Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. And Fareeha's companion is finally revealed!  
> First of all, thank you for 53 kudos and almost 1000 hits! You are awsome!  
> If you want to see minor spoilers on the following chapters, as well as my crappy attempts at art, hit me on Instagram. I have a fandom account with the same username as here, so check it maybe :)  
> Questions for you:  
> Did you like Sora's PoV?   
> What happens to Hanae? (kudos to whoever figures that out before next chapter)  
> Any specific PoV you want to see?   
> As always, any and all feedback I thoroughly appreciated!  
> Oh, one more thing: these next three weeks, I will be taking my midterms (well, equivalent exams in my school) so next update might be a tad late, but don't worry, it will come :)  
> Have a gorgeous week, people!  
> Cheers, y'all!


	11. Of Wards and Ancients

This was wrong. She had gotten inside another's wards without an invitation. Her very essence was fighting to get out. But her spirit was now trapped in between Atlantis and Earth. It had happened to her only once, when she had been formally introduced to the elders as heir of the Shimada leader.

She had been fourteen. Genji had yet to present any signs of a bond. She was not quite trusting the twins at the moment, so she didn't heed their warning. And then she had been thrown back and forth between the worlds.

Later, her father had explained that one of the elders had thought to place wards all over their residence. And, of course, he had then conveniently forgotten to present the girl with a formal invite inside. As her bond to the twins was still in its most basic form, it had taken some time for the wards to have a noticeable effect on her. It had been Sora and Umi who had anchored her soul then.

In the time it took for the wards to be disabled, both Hanae and the twins had been on the verge of a burnout.

Afterwards, Sojiro had kicked the man out from the council. And Hanae learned to trust the dragons with her life. 

But now it was happening again. A strong, very strong, Wildling had placed wards all around themselves. And Hanae was trapped again. She was distantly aware of her body failing and her soul fading.

Then, she heard the voice. Old, but not older than the dragons. Powerful, yet kind. Inviting a fellow Wildling inside their home and urging her to rest and regain her strength.

"Hanae?" another voice called.

The woman opened her eyes and blinked fast, trying to focus. To her relief, she was still in the Dragon Hall. She could feel Sora and Umi next to her, pushing their energy into keeping the bond alive and strong.

"Hanae, are you okay?" the voice called again, capturing her attention.

Hanae turned her head in its direction and blinked a few more times, just to make sure her sight was intact. Because there was Fareeha, kneeling next to her and holding her hand.

And behind her was Horus, the Ancient Falcon who had taken the name of the egyptian man he had bonded with, eons before.

"Good to see you still among us, Dragon Lady," he smiled at her. "Think you can try and sit up?" 

She nodded, and Fareeha stepped back, allowing the man to help her sit. It took her a few long seconds to blink away the nausea, but she managed.

Hanae took in her surroundings. The twins were both sitting on the floor, back to back, supporting each other. Fast asleep, now that Hanae was safe. Fareeha had turned slightly away from her and was now chatting softly with Yuki. And Horus... The spirit's human form was handsome, to say the least. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with dark skin and even darker eyes, shining with mirth and power alike. She couldn't help but gasp slightly.

 The Ancient chuckled at her bewildered look.

"So, I suppose you were expecting something else?" he asked.

"Yes. I had thought that Ancient wasn't just a title." As Lady of the Dragon Hall, Hanae was one of the few people alive who could be outright blunt to any spirit. And a feeling in her gut told her that the Falcon would appreciate honesty more than flattery.

He grinned at her, confirming her assumptions. But his smile faded fast. 

"There is something else on your mind, Lady," he said. A statement, not a question.

Hanae glanced to where Fareeha and Yuki were now deep in conversation, both smiling broadly. 

"Come," Horus said, standing up and extending his hand to her. "Walk with me."

Hanae took his hand and stood.

* * *

Jesse McCree thought he knew fear. He had stared Death in the eye far more times than he cared to remember. He had joined a gang when he was fourteen, a gang that didn't take kindly to weakness. He had stopped an angry Reyes from levelling the Overwatch Headquarters far more often than he cared to admit.

But nothing compared to the icy dread settling in his gut as he saw Hanae on the brink of dying. He felt utterly useless. Hayley was the first to react to Rogers' appearance.

"Why didn't you mention that you need medical attention?" she asked nobody in particular. "Bring her inside. And somebody better start talking, now."

"Wait," Ines said. "You cannot treat her, mija. Not alone."

The woman approached Rogers and Hanae. That was when Jesse realised that his team mate was glowing. And not in a 'she was stunning' way. But in a 'huge badass spirit dragons that cut through enemies like a hot knife through butter' way.

"Ma, wait, I don't think it's safe.. " he tried to warn her. But the older woman was having none of that. 

Ines stopped in front of Rogers and placed one hand on Hanae's head. 

"Be still, Lady. You are among friends here. Be welcomed in my home and rest," the woman whispered.

Jesse felt goosebumps creeping up his arms and a shiver going through his spine. Working with Blackwatch had gotten him used to weird shit. But this crossed the line. And the line was Angela able to revive the dead!

"What the..." Hayley began, as Hanae visibly relaxed, the convulsions stopping. "This is not possible."

"Mija, you should go prepare the guest rooms," Ines told her daughter. "Our guests are tired and could use a good meal. We will have time for anything else later."

"What? No! Tell me what was that thing? What did you do to her?" The younger woman looked to her mother.

"Hayley, we will talk later." Her tone left no room for comments. "Commander, you and your team are welcome to our home. Come in, now, and I will prepare something for you to eat while Hayley gets the rooms ready." 

"Thank you, ma'am. We are in your debt," Reyes replied, bowing his head.

"Jesse, take the girl inside and set her up in your room. It is the closest to mine. I will keep an eye on her so you can rest."

For an instant, Jesse was taken back in time, to right after abuelo's passing. He had been a wreck, but his mother had taken charge of everything. She had had the same tone then.

He shook his head. It did no good to dwell on memories. Jesse took Hanae from Rogers and followed his mother.

They set the Japanese woman in his old room and Jesse tried to ignore the painful pang he felt in his chest when he saw all of his old stuff, exactly as he had left it before he left. Before he made the choice that changed his life forever.

"What is her to you, mijo?" Ines asked, startling him from his thoughts.

"What?" he asked, not sure he heard right.

"Her." She pointed at Hanae, now curled on her side, but breathing much easier than before. "What does she mean to you?"

Jesse blinked again. The question was unexpected. And his first thoughts even more so. Shimada Hanae was becoming very important for him, very fast. And she almost killed herself to save him from certain death. However, he needed time to sort himself out before he could give a full answer. 

"Hanae is a team mate, ma. We just met a few days ago." Jesse's stomach chose that specific moment to grumble. Loud enough that the cowboy was sure that Reyes and all the others could hear it.

"Oh, mijo, when did you last eat?" Ines asked, the questioning look turning into concern for her son.

"Eh, don't worry ma, I'm good. I'd reckon Hanae needs your attention more than I do, anyway."

"Nonsense. She will be fine for now. When she wakes up, Hayley will be better equipped to check her." The woman made her way to the door. "Come, I was planning on making some quesadillas for dinner. You can get everyone settled while I cook."

"Yes, ma." And, for once, Jesse McCree was glad to follow his mother's instructions.

* * *

"What concerns you, Lady?" Horus asked, as soon as the two were far enough not to worry about the dragons overhearing.

"I... she is so young!" Hanae exclaimed. "How will she survive the bonding?"

"Fareeha Amari is far stronger than you give her credit. Besides, you were not much older when you claimed the Twins and they claimed you," Horus explained, patiently.

"Yes, but I had been trained my whole life for the bond. She wasn't even aware she was a Wildling!" Hanae's voice had something almost desperate in it. 

"Hanae." The Falcon stopped and turned to face her. "Cut the nonsense. There is something else you want from me."

His tone held no reprimand, only an open invitation for her to speak freely, not fearing retribution for her words.

"Yes, there is something else..." she said softly, turning away from him.

"You are wondering why it was me the one to come. Out of all the Ancients, why is it the Falcon that awakes? Why not the Dragons?"

"Lord Horus, I mean no disrespect..."

"Then you should start acting like it. You are Lady of the Dragon Hall but you speak as if you are only a helpless woman, who bows her head in front of danger. And yet, even in our deep slumber, we have heard about you. Shimada Hanae, the Dragon reborn. She who tamed the Twin Winds of the South. Even before the Ancients stirred, tales of the young Shimada heir, the first to fully step into the footsteps of her ancestors, had reached our resting place."

At his words, Hanae lifted her head and faced the Spirit. Her eyes held fire inside them. The Falcon took her in, from the fiery eyes to the clenched fists. "Now that is the one I have come to meet," he said, grinning at her.

Hanae looked at him. She could see his form, flickering between man and falcon. 

"Are you ready to speak, Hanae?" he asked her. "Really speak, say what it is that burdens you?" 

"Yes." Hanae took a deep breath. His words had rung true within her. If she had been able to choose, among the Ancients, she would have gone straight to the Dragons. "Why? Why are you the one to wake?"

Horus smiled softly at her. He sat down and Hanae followed, all the while keeping eye contact. 

"I am only one among the many Ancients. I was one of the last to leave Atlantis. The Dragons were the very first to sacrifice themselves. The brothers are alive, but their slumber is still deep. I was, still am, young among the Ancients. Other than that, I have no answer." 

"Why Fareeha?" she wasted no time in asking.

"She is the direct descendant of Horus Ama'ari, the first Falcon Wildling. From both her mother and her father's side of the family. They both are from the line of Horus, and Fareeha is the first child of the two lines that came from Horus." Hanae could feel the pride in his voice, akin to a parent being proud of their child.

"And why now? Why did you come now? Why not when my father passed? Why didn't you come when Kado tried to kill Yuki? Why couldn't you come and save my brother?" Hanae's voice broke at the last question and she felt tears burning her eyes.

Without meaning to, a sob escaped her. It was followed by another and then another and then she was crying, no longer able to keep her emotions concealed.

The Falcon opened his arms and Hanae clung to him, letting go of the anger and hurt and all she had bottled up in the last year and a half. The title of Lady of Dragons had been thrust upon her against her wish. Then she had lost her brother to Kado, and she had been forced to run. She had to stay strong, for the Twins and for Yuki and it tore her on the inside. 

"I do not know why and how Kado came to power. But I swear this to you, Shimada Hanae, Lady of Dragons. The one who calls himself Dragonlord has broken the Law of the Ancients. For this, he will pay. And it will be by your blood that he will fall. When the time comes, I will be there to fight him. And Kado will fall. But you must stay strong. The Hall is yours by birthright. As long as you hold onto that, you will not fail."

Hanae let his words comfort her.

"Thank you," she whispered, wiping her tears.

"It is time for you to return to Earth," Horus said. "But, before you go, I must ask you for a favour."

"If it is in my power, I shall do what you ask of me." It was dangerous to make such promises to spirits. But Hanae knew, in her heart, that Horus would not take advantage of her.

"Keep Fareeha Amari safe. She will soon go back, but she will need training. Train her, so, when the moment is right, she will be ready to return to Atlantis and step into her heritage," he pleaded.

And, for a moment, Hanae saw through the Falcon's eyes. She saw life open wide in front of Fareeha, what was waiting for her along the way. And how the little bird would be a key player in getting her brother back.

Then she blinked, and the image was gone.

"It will be my greatest pleasure to train her," she told Horus, a small smile blooming on her face.

"Then, stay strong, Lady. Until we meet again." He placed his hand on her forehead and Hanae felt her eyes close.

When they opened again, she knew that she wasn't in Atlantis anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I am not 100% pleased with how this chapter turned out. But I am in a love-hate relationship with filler chapters right now, so I'll let you decide how it is.  
> A few things:  
> \- we breached 1000 hits and 60 kudos! Thank you so much! Also, a big big thank you to all those of you who take the time to comment, each comment makes my days brighter!  
> \- as I said last week, midterms season is here, so next chapter and the one after might be a bit short, but they are coming!  
> \- this is, officially, the longest work I have ever posted anywhere, and it is all because of you guys! Thank you and kudos to you who stick with me on this fanfictional journey!  
> \- remember, say if you would like a certain POV next chapter. Gabe, Ana and Genji are most likely to appear next, though, so there goes that :)  
> \- also, how would you feel about a Christmas one-shot? I am seriously considering writing one as soon as school stops being a huge pain...  
> Check out my instgram for a sad excuse for art and some heads up for next chapters. I have also finally set up my tumblr, same username over there, so be sure to come check in for news and stuff.  
> And feedback is always welcome :)  
> Until next time, have a wonderful first week of winter!  
> Cheers, y'all!


	12. Of Trips Down Memory Lane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really, really sorry for the improptu pause. I had some issues with my phone (on which I write) which resulted in all my files getting deleted, including this chapter. Due to midterms and school in general, i wasn't able to finish rewriting everithing earlier.   
> So, please forgive me and enjoy the chapter :)

"So, chief, what's the plan?" Sparks asked Gabe, after Jesse, Hanae and Ines disappeared inside the house. 

Whatever he wanted to reply was wiped from his head when Hayley McCree turned to him and stared him down. 

"Look, mister commander, you might be all buddies with my brother, not that I ever trusted his judgement, to be honest. And you might have gotten ma to like you. But I am a smidge harder to convince and my standards are a tad bit higher," she drawled, looking him up and down. 

If it weren't for the seriousness of her voice, Gabe would have laughed. The pose, the tone, the look... it was as if he was reliving his first meeting with Jesse.

_Gabe entered the interrogation room, eyes cast down on the mission report an agent has provided. The door closed behind him, the noise startling him enough to get him to look up._

_His eyes focused on the boy and a string of profanities escaped his mouth. The boy looked fifteen, sixteen tops. A minor. In Blackwatch custody. Without a witness, a lawyer or a child services assistant around._

_If Jack got wind of this, hell, if Petras somehow got wind of this, there would be hell. And Gabriel Reyes had no intention of going through hell one second before he died._

_The kid looked up and straightened his back. That alone proved he had more of a spine than most of the guys who ended up in Blackwatch did. Good._

_Gabe pulled the chair opposed to the boy, flipped it an straddled it, elbows resting on the back. The kid's look was fierce enough that a shiver went down Gabe's spine._

_The commander was about to speak when the boy opened his mouth._

_"Look, mister high and mighty, I don't know what you think, but I ain't intimidated by you," he said and, strangely, Reyes had no trouble in believing him._

_"Listen, kid, how about you make this easier on yourself, what do you say?"_

_He stood silent and moved as if to cross his arms. The cuff on his right wrist, however, kept him from getting in the ddesired pose, leaving him in an awkward, one arm over his chest, stance._

_"You incapacitated four of my men, hit a few more. You ain't getting out of this room outside of heading to juvie," Gabe added, matter-of-factly._

_"Ain't I supposed to get a lawyer and all that shit? I ain't saying another word with only you around," the kid said, unimpressed._

_"You want to go that way, be my guest. I get you a lawyer. You get a trial. And a conviction. We have recordings of the bust. And a damn good number of witnesses and testimonies, associating you to the Deadlock gang. You face a life sentence, kid." Gabe managed to say his entire little speech without shouting. Jack should be proud of him._

_"And what, am I supposed to crawl and beg for mercy? You are just as bad! Y'all call yourselves heroes, bust in buildings guns blazing and then complain about how unfair life is when somebody has the balls to stand up and fight back!" the kid replied, fire in his eyes._

_Gabe looked at him, really did, for the first time. Beyond the gangly limbs and the peach fuzz gracing his cheeks, the boy had fire in him. Wild and unpredictable. And, if the report was to be trusted, a keen eye who hit exactly what he planned to. None of the men he had gotten were fatally wounded, no, the hits had been strategical. Arm and leg muscles, painful and incapacitating. But not killer shots. And the ability to call things as they were was... weirdly refreshing._

_"I'm not one," he found himself saying out loud._

_"What?"_

_"I am not a hero. I am the guy that pulls together a team and follows the heroes, picking up the garbage they leave behind."_

_Silence fell. Gabe looked at the boy. The boy stared back. Then, a wild smirk appeared on his face._

_"Oh, were you expecting applause? I guess you got the balls to call things out as they are, at least. Good for you." The words hurt Gabe more than a slap to the face. Not that he let it show._

_"Look, kid, let me put it short and simple. I want information. You can give it willingly, or I can take it myself. Your call." Gabe crossed his arms and stared at the boy._

_"Look, mister, I ain't some kinda snitch. I ain't about to start spouting names and places. If I go to jail, I go on my own terms. I ain't got no plans to get myself killed by them folks I gave up," he replied, staring right back up at Gabe._

_"You think you are oh, so smart, but you just confirmed that you have what I need. We can keep at it like this and you will, eventually, slip up. Or you can start talking."_

_The boy kept staring at him, no hint that he was ever going to open his mouth again. Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered to himself._

_"You can stare at me all day. I still ain't gonna talk," the boy said, stretching his free arm above his head._

_"What did the Deadlocks offer you in exchange for this kind of loyalty, kid? It's not like they can bust you out," Gabe asked._

_For a moment, the commander saw the arrogant mask crack and the scared teen peaking out. It was gone as soon as it appeared and Gabe would have called it an illusion, if it weren't for the boy's next words._

_"I ain't got no loyalty for Deadlock. But I am loyal to myself. And that means keeping my mouth shut. Besides, don't think I ain't noticed that Overwatch patch on your shoulder. Nice speech though."_

_It was then that Gabe understood. The kid was certain he was going to jail. No questions, no trial, just a nondescript van and a pair of handcuffs. And, when it happened, he planned on surviving. Which meant he was not going to give up whatever it was that he knew._

_But, damn, he was the commander of Blackwatch. The position came with certain perks that were supposed to compensate for the daily headache. Not that Gabe had many chances to pull rank or anything. However, he had a feeling that the kid would be worth the shitstorm._

_"Yes. I am, in a way, part of Overwatch. But look," he said, pointing at the other patch on his jacket, below the Overwatch one._

_"This represents me. I am Gabriel Reyes, commander of Blackwatch. My team. The ones that work from the shadows. We do the jobs the heroes frown at."_

_The kid was watching him intently now. Gabe swallowed. He felt that there was not much that escaped his keen eyes._

_"As commander, I have certain... benefits, so to speak. One being that pretty much nobody can contest my choice in agents. So, I can offer you a deal. You give me intel on Deadlock. And I keep you as an agent and out of jail. As a member of Blackwatch, all your records become confidential. And you get to turn your life around and clean your own name. What do you say?" Gabe offered._

 

_The boy considered the offer. His eyes were unfocused, staring through Gabe. He was muttering to himself, making small gestures with his free hand. And later, Gabe would swear that, for a fraction of a second, he felt the scorching sun and the dry dessert heat spreading through the room._

_Then, the boy looked up, eyes clear and bright and outstretched his hand._

_"I am Jesse McCree, from Santa Fe. Seventeen. And you have got yourself a deal, boss."_

Rogers clearing his throat startled Gabe from his trip down the memory lane. The man winced and grabbed at his upper arm. In an instant, Hayley was next to him, prying his hand away. 

"Why are you people so stubborn, I swear!" she said to no one in particular. "I told y'all to mention any injuries!"

"Eh, don't worry, miss, I am not going to die from a scratch," Rogers tried to hold her hands away.

"Nonsense! What kind of a future doctor would I be, if I let people walk away injured?" she replied, glaring at the man. 

Gabe smiled softly. The woman was definitely related to Jesse. He was the one agent who always made sure nobody was left behind. 

"You know, chief, you never answered my question," Sparks said, approaching the commander, now that Jesse's sister was occupied with checking Rogers for any other injuries.

"What was it, Sparks?"

"What do we do now?" The woman looked up at him, expectantly.   
Gabe did a quick mental inventory of their situation and resources. 

"We need to gather more information on the Deadlocks. As soon as I get a strong internet connection, I'm contacting headquarters. We will need back-up." Maybe Morrison would put his head back on his shoulders and catch a transporter to Santa Fe too. The Strike Commander was a damn skilled fighter, able to make a difference.

His thoughts were interrupted by the house door opening and Jesse coming out on the porch. 

"Oi, boss, ma said to get you settled in, since Hayley has yet to get you inside! She said that you need to come in and wash up before dinner. She's making quesadillas," the cowboy called to the four.

"Jesse McCree, you better keep out of the kitchen! We don't need another explosion in there!" Hayley replied without so much as looking up from the wound she was examining. 

Jesse shot her a long look. 

"Well, ma said you should get everybody inside and settled in the guest bedrooms," he said before he went back inside.

Hayley turned back to face Gabe. 

"Alright, mister, let's get you and your team settled," she said. "And don't you think about going anywhere before that wound is patched up," she added facing Rogers again.

"Yes, miss. I mean no, miss. I mean..." Adam tried to reply, only to get all flustered and just salute the woman.

"Come on," Hayley said, smiling for the first time since their arrival. She turned towards the house, not waiting for the others. 

"Well, you heard her and Jesse," Gabe told his agents. "Let's go get ourselves some rest and a plan for tomorrow."

* * *

Reinhardt Wilhelm would be lying if he said that Ana and Fareeha's state was not disturbing. True, the new girly seemed to know what she was talking about and managed to get Fareeha to rest peacefully. Not the same could be said about Ana. 

The woman had yet to get any sleep since Hanae had left on Gabe's mission. But Reinhardt was not about to let her waste away. So he gathered some cooking supplies and made his way to the small apartment where Ana and her daughter lived. 

Ana opened the door at his knocking and Reinhardt was glad he had something in his hands to focus on rather than not. She looked like she had aged a decade over the last few days. 

"Oh, hello," she greeted the man. 

"Ana, when did you last sleep?" he asked, shocked by her appearance. "Nevermind, you should get some rest. How about you try to sleep a little while I fix something to eat, eh?"

Ana yawned, then blinked several times before she managed to focus back on the man, who had entered the small kitchen and set the supplies on the table. 

"Nonsense! I am fine, Reinhardt, really," she tried to argue. 

"Look, Ana, you aren't doing anybody any favour if you stay awake for days at a time," he replied, turning to face the woman. "Try and get some rest, I will watch over you and Fareeha."

The woman looked like she was about to argue her point. But another yawn interrupted her. 

"Maybe for a little while..." she said, walking back to the bedroom. From the regular breaths he could hear from the kitchen doorstep, the Crusader was certain that Ana had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

Reinhardt smiled softly, busying himself with preparing something to eat. 

He was halfway through cooking the second portion of spaetzle when soft footsteps sounded from the bedroom.

"The food will take at least another half an hour, Ana, you should get some more sleep," he spoke softly, without turning away from the stove. 

"Mom is still asleep," Fareeha whispered in response.   
Reinhardt turned around instantly, almost kicking the pan off the stove. 

"Fareeha! You are okay!" he whisper-bellowed. "You managed to get us all worried sick, little bird!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at the man as if she was seeing him for the first time. 

Reinhardt turned back to the stove, careful not to burn the food. He was unsure how he should proceed. How should he talk to the girl? Were there any chances that she would just go and collapse again?

"Reinhardt, what are you talking about?" Fareeha asked again, pulling at the hem of the German's shirt to get his attention.

"You... well, you were telling me about the new friend you made. And, suddenly, you collapsed and grasped at your eye. Miss Hanae put one of her noodle pets to watch over you and it got you to calm down a little. But that happened over four days ago, little bird," he explained. 

"Oh, four days? Is that true?" the girl asked, eyes widening at his words. 

"More or less. Neither your mother or miss Hanae managed to get any semblance of real sleep since," he added.

Fareeha took a few moments to comprehend the full extent of the information the man had provided.

"Where is Hanae?" she asked, at last. 

"Reyes took her, Jesse, Amy and Adam on a mission. In fact, they should report soon. Are you hungry? I made cheese spaetzle," he offered.

"Yes, please! And thank you!" the girl smiled at him.

Reinhardt fixed a plate for her and one for himself. He debated waking Ana up to eat, but she needed sleep more than food. They ate in silence.

The Crusader took in Fareeha. She was still a child, but there was something different about her. Something in the way she looked at the world and in how she carried herself. Almost like she had lived a lifetime in the four days she had been out.

"Do you wanna play Go fish?" Fareeha asked Reinhardt after he had cleaned the table and washed the dishes. 

"Of course, little bird," he answered.

The girl beamed at him and went to get the cards. They played round after round, both a little too competitive for their own good. And that was how Ana found them, a couple of hours later, when she woke up.

* * *

The first thing Ana was aware of when she woke up was that Fareeha was no longer in the bed, next to her. 

Then she heard the quiet voices chatting in the kitchen. At the sound of Fareeha's childish giggles, she nearly jumped up. 

"Go fish, Rein!" the girl said, in between laughs. 

Ana stood and ran her hands through her hair. It was over. Maybe it had all been just a bad dream. She made her way to the kitchen. 

"Mom!" Fareeha exclaimed, when the woman's arms wrapped tightly around her. 

"Oh, baby, you're alright," Ana mumbled in her hair. "Here, let me look at you," she said, facing her daughter. 

She looked almost the same, a small child, smiling wide. But her eyes... for an instant, Fareeha's eyes flashed golden, and Ana almost gasped. There went her hope that all had been a dream.

"Mom, you won't believe what happened!" Fareeha was almost bouncing with excitement. 

"Well, how about you tell me everything?" Ana replied, hugging her daughter again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, young(er)! Jesse is a little shit, but he I still a cinnamon roll so there :)  
> Remember, feedback is always appreciated.   
> Also, any questions, requests, ideas, opinions and anything else are welcome!  
> I finally managed to fix up my tumblr, same username, and I will try to post any updates and stuff there, feel free to check it up :)  
> Have a marvellous week, guys and gals!  
> Cheers, y'all!


	13. Of Recon and Invitations

'Two more hours,' Jesse thought to himself. Two more hours scouting the town until Reyes switched him. 

It was less difficult than he had imagined. After all, a cowboy was not as noticeable in Santa Fe as he was in Zurich. But the dry heat, present even in late September, was becoming unbearable, especially after getting used to the brisk autumns of Switzerland. 

The afternoon was quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary, from what he could see. McCree was about to report and complain to Reyes about the heat when he saw his sister exiting an old-looking store.

In an instant, he was on his feet an walking over to her. 

"Hayley, you were not supposed to leave home alone! I thought you understood what jefe told you," he chastised her instead of a greeting. 

"Good to see you around too, Jess," she half spoke, half snarled at him. "I understood. I did not agree to this damned plan. And don't tell me you didn't need to clear your head after all the things mother told us."

It was true. It had taken him two strong coffees and a cigarillo to manage to take his mind away from his mother's story. If he hadn't witnessed Hanae's dragons himself, he would have questioned his mother's sanity. 

"Besides," Hayley added, "I am not alone. Jesse, meet Savannah. My best friend and roommate." 

Jesse noticed the other girl for the first time. He felt himself flush with embarrassment as he studied her. Tall, taller than Hayley but still a few centimetres shorter than himself. Long chestnut hair and bright green eyes, a lovely face and skin a tone darker than his. 

"Well, howdy, miss!" he greeted, holding out his hand. "Jesse McCree, at your service."

"Nice to meet you, Jesse. Your sister told me a lot of things about you," she replied, shaking his hand. 

"Was there at least one good thing?" Jesse asked, not quite meeting her eyes. 

"Several, actually. Now, may I ask why it's a problem that I took Hayley out for a girls' afternoon?"

Jesse shuffled his feet. A small voice in the back of his head was telling him that he should get back to his post, that Reyes might check in on him soon and that the sooner he got rid of the Deadlocks, the better. But a much bigger part was focused on the beautiful woman in front of him, who was still watching him. 

"Oh, Jesse is just being weird," Hayley intervened, and Jesse got the hidden message. His sister was leading her own investigation. And, the fewer people knew, the better. 

"Well, I just got home, I just want to make sure my sis is okay, you know?" he added, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Hayley checked her phone and chuckled. 

"Oi, Jess, mom says that your girlfriend just woke up. You should head back and check up on her, don't you think?" she winked at her brother.

Jesse felt his face grow hot. 

"Hanae is not my girlfriend, Hayley. I thought we had settled that." He shot her the worse glare he was able to, with his face all flushed, much to Savannah's amusement. 

"Well," Savannah said, "if she isn't your girlfriend does it mean you are free tonight? There is this tailgate party and you're welcome to join..." She toyed with a strand of hair that had come out of the high ponytail. 

Jesse's comm chose that moment to ring. 

"Yeah, sure," he told Savannah, then turned his back to them and answered the call. 

"Dammit, kid, why are you always so hard to reach?" Reyes asked. 

"Sorry, jefe."

"Anyway, Shimada woke up. She asked to talk to you. I am on my way." 

"Ok."

When he turned around again, Hayley and Savannah were gone. He was about to call out for them when his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

**/Hayley - we went to grab lunch. I took the liberty to give Sav your number. See you later/**

* * *

 

"Good to see you up an about, Hanae," Jesse greeted. 

Hanae looked up from the paper she was studying. It had been a stupid idea. To ask to talk to the man right after she woke up. But it was done. And, whether she liked it or not, Horus' warning was still ringing in her ears. 

_'Protect the man. He will be your biggest ally, your strongest asset in the battle against Kado. And the dragon knows it.'_

She was acutely aware that, sooner or later, she would have to come to terms with the very last things the Falcon had showed her. And that she would be faced with the hardest decision of her life. 

However, she had to first step on her pride and talk to Jesse. Which was going to be a bitch. Because how was she supposed to explain her on going battle against a very strong spirit and also convince him that she wasn't, actually, insane.

Genji had been the talker and, not for the first time, Hanae wished she had spent more time with her brother, learning to speak with other people.

Her conversation skills had two extremes: the Shimada heir, expecting to be listened to and able to make her point without raising her voice, able to deal with the most hardened Criminal empire leaders. And Hanae, awkward and brash, who preferred to meditate and commune with the dragons rather than engage in any sort of social encounter. There was no in between. And she was quite certain that she shouldn't use the yakuza heir persona when talking to a teammate.

Which left her with few options other than facing the subject head on. 

"So," Jesse began, in an attempt to breach the awkward silence in the room, "Reyes said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes, actually. I wanted to say..." Hanae fumbled for words. "I, uh, I meant to ask you if you found anything regarding the Deadlock Gang. And to thank you for your assistance after I released the dragons."

"Don't mention it. We are a team. It wouldn't do to just leave somebody behind, especially after saving our collective asses." the man fumbled with his hat, not quite meeting her eyes. "And we have been scouting the general area, but no sign of any Deadlock activity so far."

"Alright." stupid, stupid, stupid. Shimada Hanae, heir of the South and Lady of Dragon Hall and she wasn't able to talk to one man. 

"So, that was all?" Jesse asked, watching her intently. 

"Yes." her answer was curt. 

"Alright then, I'll just go." 

He was halfway out the door when an idea struck her. 

"Wait." She watched him turn around and face her again before she spoke. "I was thinking, maybe, could you show me the spots the Gang members tend to stick to? Maybe the dragons can find something we would otherwise miss."

"Yeah, sure. We could go tomorrow." 

"Well. I was thinking at night would be better. Less of a chance to be spotted."

"Tomorrow night, then."

"Why not tonight?"

"Well, I kind of have plans for tonight. There is this party with most of the younger people in the city." 

"Of course. I apologise for intruding."

Of course he would have plans. She was disappointed for a second. Then she mentally kicked herself. It wasn't like he was supposed to keep a vigil by her bedside. They were part of a covert-ops organisation. They had a job to do. 

"Oh, don't sweat it. In fact, we should all go. Maybe we can find something out about the gang, right?"

"Yes, of course." 

"Sweet. I'll tell Adam and Amy. Be ready at seven." 

With that, he was out the door. Hanae sat heavily on the bed. She felt Sora and Umi materialise even before they were physical enough to see.

 _'You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. He asked you to a party,'_ Sora said, attempting to cheer her up. 

_'Yeah, I have a good feeling about tonight,'_ Umi added.

 _'Yeah, you just want an excuse to go to the Hall and get drunk with Yuki. You don't get to have feelings about this, brother,'_ Sora snapped.

_'No. A good feeling about the cowboy! And don't you dare judge me, Sora, you like partying as much as I do!'_

"How did I get stuck with you two?" Hanae sighed. "It's not like I am even a quarter of the party boy my brother was."

 _'Come on, Hanae, you know you love us,'_ Umi said, curling up on her crossed legs. 

Sora huffed at her brother, bringing a small smile on Hanae's face. That moment, her stomach growled loud enough to make her face heat up with embarrassment. 

"Alright, you two. Let's go and find some food, how does that sound?"

* * *

Ines was brewing herself a strong cup of coffee when she felt the Wildling enter the kitchen. She took a deep breath, focusing on remembering the proper greetings. The girl beat her to it, though.

"Peace be onto you and may the Ancients bless you and your house. May you always find a resting place with fresh water and green grass and may the spirits always smile upon you," she said, bowing low.

"And may this blessing return upon you tenfold, Lady," Ines replied, a small smile on her face.

The girl straightened and looked the woman straight in the eye. Ines had figured that the girl was powerful, but her eyes held a different kind of strength. 

"I am Ines McCree. Welcome to my house," she said, holding out her hand. 

"Shimada Hanae. Thank you for allowing me inside your home," the girl replied, shaking Ines' hand.

"You must be starving, child. Sit down at the table and allow me to make something for you."

"I do not want to bother you," Hanae tried to argue. 

"Hush, you are no bother. Jesse told me what happened to you. And Gabriel filled in some details from before the mission." Ines turned on the stove and placed a frying pan above the fire. "You almost burned out. It took you a day to return from the brink of death. Another half a day to wake up. And that was a very fast recovery, considering everything. Do you have any preferences?"

"Well... I would like something light, if it wouldn't be to much of a bother."

"I told you, it is no bother," Ines replied, chopping some vegetables, then putting them in the pan. 

Just a few minutes later she placed a steaming plate of sautéed vegetables and grilled cheese in front of Hanae. 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome. Please, go ahead!"

The girl had impeccable manners, Ines had to give her that. She knew only the barest of details when it came to her, with neither Reyes nor Jesse willing to explain who she was and where she came from. Her name, Shimada, was scratching at her mind, but Ines couldn't remember whatever that meant for the life of her. 

"It was delicious, thank you again," the girl's voice interrupted her thoughts. 

"I am truly glad you liked the food. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes, please."

With steaming mugs in front of them and chatting like long lost friends finally catching up was how Hayley found them when she returned home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, contrary to popular belief, I am still alive and kicking. I think :)  
> I was in Switzerland with my family for the second part of winter holiday and I didn't get the chance to update, then school started again and, well, my time has been split between school and learning for the Admission exam for med-school. Starting now, I will try to put up new chapters every other monday, because I just don't have time to write, sorry!  
> Also, I rewrote the second part of the chapter three times, because I hated the way it turned up, so there's that.  
> As usual, take all your reactions, complaints, suggestions etc to the small box labeled 'comments'.  
> Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Have a wonderful day, guys!


	14. Of Backroad Parties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my country, the legal drinking age is 18 (yes, eighteen). As far as ages go, Hanae is 19, Jesse is 20, Adam is 22, Amy 23.   
> Do I label it as underage drinking? Cause it ain't underage in EU, but they are in the US for the time being. Help?

Hanae used to associate parties with loud and annoying electronic music, drunk guys hitting on her and the occasional joint being passed around. For the sake of doing her job, she was willing to endure such a thing. 

The party Jesse had taken them to was nothing like what she remembered Genji dragging her to back in Hanamura. Yes, there was alcohol in paper cups, but nobody was drunk or high. And the music was live, some small band playing old school country songs. And the bonfire and s'mores were an added bonus. 

"Hey, Shimada!" Adam called, holding two cups. "Relax a little, nobody will jump and start shooting," he said, far quieter than before, handing her one of the cups.

"We are here on a mission," she tried to argue, looking down at the amber liquid.

Adam sipped his cup and smiled.

"No, Hanae. We are here to unwind and have some fun." He downed his paper cup and his smile turned into a grin. "Come on, dance with me!"

Hanae looked up at the man. The fire made his hair incandescent and his face glow. Genji's voice was ringing in her ears: 

_"Come on, Hanae, relax. Find someone and take them out on the dance floor. Live a little on the wild side!"_

"Hey, are you ok?" Adam asked her, and Hanae had to blink a few times to return back to the present. 

"Yes. I apologise. And yes, I think I would enjoy a dance."

A dance turned into two then three and so on. And, for the first time since the day everything had changed, back in Hanamura, Hanae enjoyed herself.

* * *

 

Jesse was relaxing. For what felt like the first time in so long, he could let himself go. Swaying to the music and holding Savannah just a tad tighter than he had to. Then, when he got tired of dancing, sitting on one of the many logs spread around the bonfire, a beautiful girl by his side, a paper cup in his hand and music playing in the background, made him feel like he was starring in one of his abuelo's stories. 

"Well, how do you like it back home?" Savannah asked, startling him from his thoughts. 

"It's even better than I remembered," he grinned, then made a show of stretching his arms up and laying his right one around her back.

She smiled and pressed slightly closer to him. 

"So you'll stay?" she asked, turning a little to look him in the eye. 

Jesse hesitated. His eyes flickered to where commander Reyes was sitting with Amy and Adam, talking softly. Savannah followed his gaze and focused on the trio. 

"I see. You have to go," she said, as the silence on Jesse's end stretched.

"Sometime. In the future. I am going to stick around for a bit," he told her with a wink and a smile. 

Jesse closed his eyes and swayed to the song, smiling when he felt Savannah follow his lead. Then a tidbit of an image made his eyes open again. 

Carefully, he scanned every person at the party, looking for his team mates. Indeed, Reyes was talking to Amy, but the man next to her wasn't Adam. And now that he was looking for him, Jesse realised that he couldn't spot Rogers. Nor Hanae for that matter. 

Jesse blamed the short-lived pang in his chest on too much alcohol and too little sleep. 

* * *

Jack was pacing in his office. Gabriel's report had been... unsettling, to say the least. The Deadlock gang, getting back to their feet, was something he had hoped to never happen.

For now, the Blackwatch team were scouting the area, but if Gabe's bleak expectations were proven right, Overwatch support would be needed. 

The door opened and suddenly Jack found himself wrapped in a tight hug. 

"Hello, uncle Jack!" Fareeha greeted, and Jack heard Ana's chuckle and the characteristic sound of a camera going off. Not that the woman needed any more blackmail material on her fellow commanders. 

"Hello, Fareeha, I am glad to see you are feeling better," he smiled, hugging the girl and choosing to ignore Ana. 

"Well, it was Hanae, uncle Jack. She helped me very much. I am so glad uncle Gabe brought her here!" Fareeha told him. She was smiling widely and Jack could almost see stars in her eyes. 

 _'Way to prove me wrong, Shimada,'_ he thought to himself. Gabe's report had arrived earlier that day. The Deadlock gang had ambushed Shimada, McCree and Rogers and the woman's main concern was the safety of her team members and of the civilians trapped by the crossfire. She had thrown herself into the fight, no regards for her own life, and her effort had gotten the team and the civilians out, no casualties. 

The report had a video recording from Sparks' mech attached. It wasn't of an extremely high quality and Jack had made it a priority to equip all mechs with better cameras. 

From what he could see, the three agents had been surrounded, shields failing all around them. There was no way Gabe and Sparks could reach them in time. Then, something bright and electric blue had exploded, with Shimada in the centre of it all. For a fraction of a second, Jack could have sworn the thing took the shape of two long dragons. Just as fast, it, no, they were gone. And, as he watched the blurry video again, Jack wordlessly thanked whatever had made Shimada Hanae become their ally. 

* * *

Genji had no idea how much time had passed since he had spoken to the falcon. He was dimly aware of what was happening on Earth. His sister was still evading capture. More than that, she had managed to banish Kado from the Dragon Hall, again. 

The dragon had taken it as a personal offence that he couldn't take control of the dragons and it showed. But Genji would gladly take whatever the spirit saw fit as punishment if it meant that his sister was still fighting. And, maybe, by the time she beat Kado, he will still be around, if only to see her once more. 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the door opening. 

"Well, don't you look smug," Kado snarled at Genji. The man shrugged, the smile never quite leaving his face.

The spirit's fist collided with the man's jaw hard enough to crack the bone. Genji spat blood to the side, then positively smirked. 

"You are insane!" the dragon shouted at the sight. "Then, again, all the inbreeding of the Shimadas must be showing," he added, almost as an afterthought. 

Genji ignored the remark. After all, his father had been one amongst the few leaders of the clan who had married to a woman with no ties to the clan.

"You and that sister of yours, insane both," Kado muttered to himself.

"Yet, even here, word has reached of your banishment in disgrace from the Hall. Insane or not, Hanae won against you. Again," Genji replied, pride for his sister in every word. "Then again, call us insane. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

With a wordless shout, Kado threw himself at Genji again. And, yet, not even the anger of the spirit was enough to wipe the grin off the man's face.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am still alive, thanks for asking ;)  
> I am really sorry about the long break since the last chapter. And I am even more sorry about the break ahead.  
> Reason: my med-school admission exam is in 16 weeks. During this time, the most I can try is one, maybe two chapters. Sorry but, this once, real life trumps hobbies.  
> In other news, since my last update I have started watching Supernatural (any fans around?) (also, my brain can only take so much anatomy and chemistry). Relevance? Well, today I was re-reading Wildlings to get myself back in writing-mood and I noticed several references to it. Yup. I somehow managed to reference a show I hadn't watched before. Awesome :)  
> For (somewhat semi-) regular updates on my life/progress, check my insta/tumblr (nimdamy16 on both).  
> Feedback, as always, I appreciated, you know the drill.  
> Oh, and happy late (early?) Easter (I will celebrate next sunday. Loving Europe, right?)!  
> Cheers, y'all!


	15. Of New Ideas and Override Codes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> To apologise for the long break, here you have a 2k+ words chapter.   
> Enjoy!

The morning after the party, Jesse woke up with his head pounding slightly and his stomach somewhere between acting all empty and hating him.

By the time he made his way to the kitchen for a strong coffee and some sort of light breakfast, the entire team was already around the table. Too late Jesse realised that they were in the middle of a video conference with the Commanders of Overwatch. The man mentally kicked himself for not grabbing a t-shirt before leaving the bedroom. 

"Good morning, kid," Ana greeted, a smirk clear on her face.

“Good mornin’, ma’am. Commander Morrison.” Maybe, if he acted natural…

“As I was saying, before the half-naked interruption, the Deadlock Gang is slowly but surely getting itself back in one piece,” Reyes explained. “So far, we have little other intel, but several of the younger residents of the city have received some form of a proposal to join the gang. For now we should be able to keep tabs on things around here, but, depending on just how well-organised those bastards are, we might need extra coverage. Especially since the Deadlocks are dead set on re-recruiting mr. Underwear Model over here,” he added, pointing at Jesse.

The younger man chose to sip his coffee instead of replying. Not that that stopped the others from showing their amusement. Even Hanae was smiling and Jesse suddenly realized that he wasn’t all that bothered at becoming the source of amusement. 

“This particular situation aside,” Morrison spoke up, “the Deadlock Gang getting back on their feet after only a few years is not good news. Do you have any plan, Gabe?”

“Yes and no. For now we are scouting the area, but we might need extra agents. Preferably official Overwatch agents, as I have a feeling that we will get at least some attention from the media,” Reyes replied.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Jack looked like there was more he wanted to say, but Jesse thought it was not his place to comment. Not that he could say anything before the call was cut short.

“So…” Jesse spoke up after a minute or so of complete silence, “what did I miss?”

He counted it as a win that he made Reyes smile.

* * *

Fareeha’s recounting of her adventure in Atlantis was equal parts amazing and worrying. If what she said was true and the Ancients were indeed awakening, Ana feared for the safety of the world.

She would have to contact some people, of course, just to make sure. And suddenly, the prospect of joining the team in the US sounded a lot more attractive. 

Her comm beeped with a message. She smiled when she saw the sender.

Reinhardt had volunteered to keep an eye on Fareeha while she and Jack would catch up with Gabe and the team. Apparently, the German was quite sought after as a sitter. At least, by herself and Torbjorn, who had taken his youngest kid to work with him in order to allow his wife to get some rest. Then, the engineer proceeded to hand little Brigitte to Rein and return to his project. 

The message consisted of a picture of the three, with a few words underneath: ‘The girls insist you join us for dinner. What do you say?’ 

“Athena, is there anything in the schedule for tonight?” Ana asked. 

“Nothing official, Commander Amari,” yhe AI replied. “However, you asked me to remind you to call director Petras soon.”

“I think he can wait, for now. Anything else?”

“Most of the other agents have called it a day. Winston is working in lab 24, agent Zhou is using practice range 3 and Commander Morrison has closed himself in his office and told me to not disturb him. And agent Lindholm is performing the weekly check-up on the training bots.”

“Thank you, Athena. If anything comes up, postpone for tomorrow. I have a dinner invitation I just can’t miss.”

"Of course, Commander. Have a nice evening!”

Ana left her office, heading for Jack’s. She knocked and entered, without waiting for a reply. 

“Whatever it is, it has to wait until tomorrow morning,” the Strike Commander said, not looking up from the data pad in front of him.

“You should take your own advice then, Jack,” Ana retorted, a smirk on her face. 

“Oh, it’s you, Ana. I can’t really leave everything for tomorrow. I have to make a first draft of the team that will join Gabe in the States and Petras is still breathing down my neck for a full report of all missions completed in the last six months,” Jack explained. Ana noticed the dark bags under his eyes and how he looked like he hadn’t eaten a full meal in a long time.

“When was the last time you slept, Jack? Or ate, for that matter?” she asked, cutting him off. When he hesitated, the woman marched to his desk and snatched the data pad from his unsuspecting hands.

“Ana…”

“Don’t you Ana me, Jack Morrison. It’s about damn time you take a break. Reinhardt made dinner. You are joining us, and that is final,” she told him.

“It would be really nice, and I appreciate the sentiment, but…” he tried to argue.

“No buts. Athena, please initiate override code Eye of Horus. All Overwatch data is to be withheld from Commander Morrison for at least 24 hours.” Ana’s voice was firm, not leaving any room for comments. 

“Initiating override code. Commander Amari, please provide a handprint and a retinal scan.”

Ana pressed her hand on the screen of the data pad, then held the small camera at eye level.

“Identity confirmed, Ana Amari, Commander of Overwatch Strike Team and Peace Keeping Organisation. Protocol Eye of Horus initiated,” the AI confirmed. “I would strongly suggest you listen to Commander Amari, Commander Morrison. You should indeed get some rest.”

Jack’s shoulders slumped, while Ana smiled softly.

“Come on. We are expected, my friend,” she said, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

* * *

Rationally, Jack knew that Ana was right. He had no idea when was the last time he had actually slept for more than a few stolen hours here and there. And the to-go sandwiches from the cafeteria were… less than satisfactory as a replacement for any kind of meal.

Still, he was a little bothered by the fact that Ana had used an emergency override procedure just to keep him from doing his job. The overrides existed to prevent issues with interimary command in case of the worst coming to happen on a mission. Not to be used as a means of constraining a leader…

“I can hear you thinking from all the way over here, Jack,” Ana said, nudging him with her elbow. “If this is about the override, trust me, you’ll thank me later. After you sleep.”

“Ana, we have those protocols in place for a reason,” he argued.

“Yes, and I doubt that working yourself sick is not a good enough reason to use one. If it were the other way around, you would not have let me off with only a 24 hours break. And don’t try to contradict me, we both know that it is true.”

Jack huffed, but refrained from further comment. Ana was right, of course. If it had been her working at the rhythm nehad imposed upon himself…

“Reeha, get behind me! I will be your shield!” The shrill voice interrupted Jack’s thoughts.

“Watch out, Brig! Attackers incomig! Protect the point!”

And like that, Jack found himself nearly knocked to the ground by an excited Fareeha, followed closely by Brigitte, both girls armed with foam armour and weapons.

“Oh, no, Jack what are we going to do? We didn’t expect such a valiant defense!” Ana called out, grinning at the girls.

“Surrender and you will be shown mercy,” Fareeha continued.

“Otherwise, get ready to face the might of Pharah and Brigitte,” the younger girl finished. “Did I get that right, Reeha?”

“Perfect, Brig.” The younger Amari looked at Jack and her mother, a stern expression on her face. “What do you say?”

Jack looked over at Ana and saw her smile widen.

“Is that so, habibi? I think you have forgotten something…”

Indeed, Reinhardt had sneaked behind the girls and picked them up effortlessly.

“No! The heroes have fallen!” Fareeha exclaimed, struggling to escape the German’s grasp.

“I think the tables have turned, girls. Any last words?” Ana asked, barely containing her laughter.

By now, Fareeha was hanging upside down from Reinhardt’s hold. She waved at her mother and Jack, smiling wide.

“Hi, mom, uncle Jack. You came for dinner, right?” she asked, giving up on escaping.

“Hello, Ana, Jack!” Brigitte greeted, dropping the foam shield to get a better grip on Reinhardt’s arm.

Jack could no longer hold in his laughter at the sight of the huge man struggling to keep both Fareeha and Briggite in place. Ana joined him almost instantly, but not before snapping a quick picture.

Reinhardt placed the girls back on the ground and gestured for them to enter the living room. After sending Fareeha and Brigitte to remove their armour and wash their hands for dinner he invited his friends to sit at the table.

“I am glad you joined us, Jack. You work too much, my friend,” he told Jack.

“I am glad to be here too, Reinhardt.”

Surrounded by friends, Jack indeed was happy. And, before the evening was over, he did actually thank Ana for forcing him to get out of the office.

* * *

Following the call from the Overwatch Headquarters, commander Reyes imposed a new schedule. Hanae was thankful that her scouting shift covered the evening and the first part of the night, as she was itching to release the dragons for something other than hanging around the house. 

Not that she didn’t appreciate the hospitality of Ines McCree. But her training and the time spent hiding from Kado’s men left her somewhat unable to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Walking the nearly deserted streets of Santa Fe, Hanae couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was too quiet, too still. She couldn’t help but think at the phrase “calm before the storm”.

Sora and Umi were humming in her mind. The dragons had chosen to stay hidden, no need to alert the locals about anything out of the ordinary. Not that there were any locals to worry.

It was strange, the eerie quiet that had descended on the city. Even the dragons agreed. Something was brewing, and Hanae was almost sure that it would involve Jesse and the Deadlock gang. 

Something moved in the corner of her eye. Hanae was on it in a second, dagger already in her hand. The teary eyes of Hayley McCree looked at her, and Hanae lowered her weapon.

"Hayley? What are you doing here?” Hanae asked, restoring the dagger to its sheath, on her forearm.

“If you tell me that I should not be here, I’ll scream,” the older woman replied. “Sav and I went to her apartment to get some of my school stuff, since I will be confined to my house by your boss.”

Hanae waited, certain that there was something that Hayley was not telling her.

“Oh, hell, I should have listened to Jesse and taken one of you guys with us! Now they have Sav and it’s all my fault!” Hayley broke down again, hiding her face in her hands.

Hanae was already considering all sorts of different action plans. If the Deadlock gang had Savannah, it changed things. The comm in her ear buzzed.

“Shimada, are you there?” Reyes asked, voice slightly distorted by the device.

“Commander, we have a problem. The Deadlock gang kidnapped Savannah.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was chapter 15, guys.  
> First of all, I made it! I got into med-school! Yay! :)   
> Now, stuff about Wildlings:  
> \- Considering the canon information that came out while I was on break, I realised that I have to go back and edit some stuff. Nothing major, just the odd bit about Amelie and Gerard. Meaning...   
> \- Hanae will meet the Lacroix couple :) eventually  
> \- I tweaked a bit the ages of Fareeha and Brigitte. Canon-wise, they are nine years apart, but here, Fareeha is 10, almost 11 and Brigitte is 6-ish.   
> \- I may have mentioned this before, but I have outlined the plot, so, hopefully, that will help me write faster  
> As usual, take your feedback to the buttons at the bottom of the page.   
> Cheers, y'all! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this, please tell me whether you want to read more of this!  
> Again, sorry for any mistakes, if you point them out I will do my best to fix them.  
> Cheers, y'all!  
> -Damy


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